Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program alums Jaime Lozano (Cycle 18) and Christie Baugher (Cycle 21) were named recipients of the 2022 Jonathan Larson Grant.
Of this year's three honorees, Baugher won for her music, lyrics, and book, and Lozano for his music. Each will receive an unrestricted grant of $15,000, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts and recording grants. A special ceremony honoring the artists, and featuring performances of their recent work, will be announced at a later date.
The Jonathan Larson Grants are an unconditional annual investment in individual talent. They are awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers. Recipients are given free rein to put the grant’s resources towards what they see as the best use for furthering their creative endeavors with the hope that the grant will provide the support necessary for artists to see their work from concept to cultural success. The grant is a clear indicator of what is new and next in musical theatre, and provides recipients with a platform to amplify stories and figures that can shape contemporary culture. Rather than financing a specific piece or project, the grant provides emerging artists with enhancement opportunities in addition to general funding in an effort to promote lifelong development as creatives.
Recipients were selected by an expert panel consisting of Producer Amanda DuBois (The Lehman Trilogy, Spring Awakening), General Manager and ShowTown Theatricals CEO Nathan Gehan (Parade, Into the Woods), Opera Composer Kamala Sankaram (Thumbprint, The Last Stand) and Composer/Lyricist Max Vernon (KPOP; 2015 Larson Grant Recipient).