Biography

JOSEPH THALKEN is an award- winning composer, conductor, and pianist whose theater and concert works have been performed internationally. He is the composer of the musicals Was, Harold and Maude, Fall of ’94, Borrowed Dust, and Inventions for Piano, and his concert works encompass chamber, choral, orchestral, wind ensemble, and vocal music. His ballet Chasing Home was recently recorded by the Dallas Chamber Symphony and will be released early next year. He has served as music director and arranger for luminaries of Broadway and classical music, including Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Rebecca Luker, Renée Fleming, Sierra Boggess, Kristin Chenoweth, Polly Bergen, Faith Prince, Marin Mazzie, Michael Crawford, Howard McGillin, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, Rodney Gilfry, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. He has taught music theater composition at Yale and is a graduate of Northwestern University. He made his debut under San Francisco Symphony auspices in 2015.