Michael McElroy

Michael McElroy: Associate Dean of Institute of Performing Arts.  Michael is a tenure professor in Arts & Public Policy NYU/Tisch.  Previously, Michael served as co-coordinator and tenure professor of Musical Theatre in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington DC, and as Chair of the Department of Musical Theatre in the School of Music Theatre and Dance at University of Michigan. 

From 2010 - 2021, Michael served as head of vocal performance and a founding faculty member of the New Studio on Broadway in Undergraduate Drama.  During his tenure, he served as Associate Chair and as Director of Diversity Initiatives.  

Michael is the 2025 awardee of The Johan Sundberg/Ingo R. Titze Award for Creativity in Voice Science.  The award is given to an individual who has established a creative body of research, or creative entity that reflects the application of voice science (i.e. basic, clinical or performance) to a voice-related profession or to society at large.  The Voice Foundation, an international organization “is the world’s oldest and leading organization dedicated to voice research, medicine, science and education He is the first to receive this prestigious award for his body of work in performance.  

As an actor, Broadway credits include: Sunday in the Park with George (2017 revival), Next To Normal, Rent (Closing Cast), The Wild Party, Big River (Tony Nomination Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), The Who's Tommy, Miss Saigon, Patti LuPone on Broadway, and High Roller Social Pleasure Club.  Michael has performed in the cast of Candide with the New York Philharmonic, as well as National Tours of Next to Normal, Rent, Big River Sarafina and many Off-Broadway shows including Some Men by Terrance McNally, Blue, Original cast of Violet, Drama Desk Nomination, and New York Shakespeare Festivals Richard III starring Denzel Washington. 

His arrangements were heard on Broadway in Disaster! The Musical, Street Corner Symphony and Off-Broadway in Our Lady of Kibeho at Signature Theatre and Three Mo Tenors at the Little Shubert Theatre.  In the revival of Disney’s AIDA, Michael created new vocal arrangements, music arrangements and incidental music for the production’s premiere in the Netherlands from 2023-2024. In television and film his arrangements have been featured on New Amsterdam, America’s Got Talent, Smash, the Tony Awards, PBS: Three Mo Tenors, PBS Broadway Love Songs and on film in Why Did I Get Married, Legally Blonde 2, Preachin’ to the Choir, and A Home at the End of the World. Working with music partner Joseph Joubert, they have created arrangements for Jennifer Nettles, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, and Black Theatre United, 

Michael is the Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Broadway Inspirational Voices.  He received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for his arrangement of Joy to The World on BIV’s first holiday CD: Great Joy! A Gospel Christmas.  He has two Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. (Big River, Broadway InspirationalVoices)  A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Michael is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where he received the 2020 Achievement Award for his work in the arts and education.