Amanda Yesnowitz

Class of
1996
Position
Lyricist, Educator
Biography

Amanda Yesnowitz won the 2018 Kleban Prize for the most promising lyricist, and is the first individual lyricist to earn the Jonathan Larson Award. She is also the recipient of the Dramatists Guild Fellowship, eight MAC Award nominations, the Dottie Burman Award, and the Jamie deRoy and Friends ASCAP Award. 

Some of her current projects include The Peculiar History of Dr. James Barry (Davenport Theatrical, 2018 Rhinebeck Writers Retreat) and an adaptation of the novel/film Somewhere In Time (Davenport Theatrical, music by Doug Katsaros). Her words have been performed by Broadway luminaries such as Susan Egan and Melissa Errico as well as Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops on New Year’s Eve at Boston's Symphony Hall. A revue based on her song “Those 7 Little Words” enjoyed an extended run at Cleveland’s Playhouse in the Square, and a revue based on her song “Understudy Blues” garnered rave reviews at the Galloway Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa. She has collaborated with a number of illustrious composers, including Larry O’Keefe, Skip Kennon, and Brad Ross, among others. 

Yesnowitz holds degrees from Tufts University, Boston Conservatory, and New York University, where she teaches full-time as a senior lecturer in art and public policy.