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American composer and lyricist renowned for his innovative and emotionally rich contributions to contemporary musical theatre.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Finn studied at Williams College. He achieved prominence with his Marvin Trilogy of one-act musicals ('In Trousers', 'March of the Falsettos', 'Falsettoland'), later combined as 'Falsettos', which won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score. His other major works include the Tony Award-winning 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' and 'A New Brain'. Finn's work is celebrated for its wit, neurotic charm, deep humanity, and exploration of complex relationships, often within Jewish and gay communities. He is a professor at Barnard College.

• Finn faced a life-threatening brain tumor in 1992. His subsequent recovery profoundly influenced his autobiographical musical 'A New Brain', which explores themes of mortality and artistic expression during a health crisis.
• The musical 'Falsettos', combining 'March of the Falsettos' (1981) and 'Falsettoland' (1990), was groundbreaking for its portrayal of a complex modern family structure involving a gay man, his ex-wife, his lover, and his son, set against the backdrop of the emerging AIDS crisis.
• 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' originated from an improvisational exercise called 'C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E' created by Rebecca Feldman. Finn, along with book writer Rachel Sheinkin, later substantially reworked the material into the hit Broadway musical.
• Despite critical acclaim for his unique voice, Finn has faced periods of commercial struggle. Several of his musicals, including 'Romance in Hard Times' and 'The Royal Family of Broadway', have had limited runs or developmental challenges.