Michael Roth

Michael Roth is a composer, music director, orchestrator, pianist, and sound designer. Having graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan, where he studied composition with William Bolcom, he has been an active professional for almost 30 years, creating a body of work that encompasses chamber music, new music and sound for theatre, new opera and music/theatre, music for dance, and music for film (including soundtracks for independent films, documentaries, and not-for-profit charity and research organizations). He has composed the music for over 200 productions at major theatres throughout North America, including Broadway, off-Broadway, and the Stratford Festival in Canada, and has been a resident artist at both South Coast Repertory and La Jolla Playhouse in California. A winner of the first American Composer’s Forum/LA competition, Michael's work has been described as music “one could imagine Charles Ives composing had he lived long enough to encounter rock-and-roll and beat poetry.” Recent projects, upcoming productions, and works-in-progress include:

THE TEMPEST (2010) – composed the score for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Canada, featuring Christopher Plummer - filmed for broadcast on Bravo, directed by artistic director Des McAnuff (Michael previously composed the scores for McAnuff’s Stratford productions of AS YOU LIKE IT (2010) MACBETH (2009), ROMEO & JULIET (2008).

IMAGINATION DEAD IMAGINE (2010-11) – winner, Subito grant from the American Composer’s Forum - setting of Samuel Beckett’s text, for voices, digitally manipulated sound, string quartet.

JEWS AND BASEBALL (2010) – composed music for the documentary by Peter Miller, narrated by Dustin Hoffman, theatrical release, October, 2010, PBS broadcast, 2011.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009) – vocal coach, arranger, music director for songs by Randy Newman (Disney Animated Feature).

FRAMMENT AZIONI (2008) – composed music for a music/dance event/Italian radio broadcast.

KYRIE-MERCY-ANA M (2007) – motet for a capella choir, from LANDSCAPE THE TAR ROOF TREE, a music/theatre collaboration with Alice Ripley, premiered at the American Composers Forum/LA salon, 2007.

YOUR NAME HERE (2009) – composed music, soundscore, songs, film by Matthew Wilder, with Bill Pullman.

THE PERSIANS (2003-06) – music, sound score performed live – premiere, Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation, Aeschylus’ play - Tony Randall, producer -- (National Actors Theatre/New York; Shakespeare Theatre, DC - Helen Hayes Award nominee).

TO SPITE YOUR FACE (2010) - chamber piece for solo tuba, multilayered live sampling.

Additional credits: music director, arranger - Randy Newman’s HARPS AND ANGELS, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles. Other recent work: world premieres of BROOKLYN BOY and A WALK IN THE WOODS (Broadway); PEOPLE BE HEARD, TALKING HEADS, DINNER WITH FRIENDS (Pulitzer Prize), SIGHT UNSEEN, SABINA, GOING TO ST. IVES (off-Broadway); many additional collaborations with Randy Newman including EDUCATION OF RANDY NEWMAN (Act Theatre, Seattle; SCR), orchestrating his FAUST (La Jolla Playhouse, Goodman Theatre), and editing five songbooks for Alfred Music; collaborated with Tom Stoppard on the US premieres of INDIAN INK and INVENTION OF LOVE; with MacArthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl, the West coast premiere of MELANCHOLY PLAY; many collaborations with Mac Wellman including their music/theatre piece THE ALLEGORY OF WHITENESS (Humana Festival, 2001) and the Obie-award winning premieres of BAD PENNY, TERMINAL HIP, and BITTER BIERCE; as a resident artist, many productions at La Jolla Playhouse and South Coast Repertory including THE BIRDS (music/theatre with Culture Clash, from Aristophanes, also at Berkeley Rep and the Getty Villa), many world premieres by Lee Blessing, and the world premieres of Margaret Edson’s WIT (Pulitzer Prize) and Noah Haidle’s MR. MARMALADE; and, for the UN and UCLA Center for International Emergency Medicine, DVDs on landmine safety and sexual assault.