Composer-Lyricist, Librettist, & Music Director

Hi! I’m Jesse J. Sanchez, an award-winning composer-lyricist, librettist, and music director whose work explores culture, heritage, and identity through expansive, emotionally driven musical storytelling. My art often intertwines family, folklore, and the intersections of tradition and modern life, creating theatrical experiences that celebrate community, resilience, and joy.

I’ve been honored as a 2025 James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation Spark Artist Award winner ($25,000), a 2026 Kleban Prize finalist for libretto writing, a two-time recipient of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Frank Young Grant, an Opera America Digital Excellence in Opera Award finalist, a Milagro Latino Artist Fund Grant recipient, and a VCCA Fellow.

My work has been developed at the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, The Orchard Project, New York Theatre Barn, Live & In Color, Musical Theater West, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Black Swan Lab, ZACH Theatre, Austin Latinx New Play Festival, Oregon Cabaret, Portland Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and more. It has also been showcased at major regional theaters, off-Broadway, opera houses, and other prestigious venues including the Broadway League’s Jimmy Awards, The Green Room 42 (NYC, sold-out), Playbill, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show. My music is available on all major streaming platforms, including SiriusXM Broadway and Musical Theatre Radio.

ABOUT MY WORK

SUEÑOS: Our American Musical (2026), a 2026 Kleban Prize finalist, looks at what it means to chase your dreams across generations, exploring family, immigration, and the cultural threads that hold us together. Developed through the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, Musical Theatre West’s New Works Festival, The Orchard Project, New York Theatre Barn, Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Black Swan Lab, and Las Positas College, the piece blends contemporary musical theater with Latine storytelling, humor, and heart.

Zapata: A Folklórico Superhero Musical (March 2026) reimagines folklórico dance and culture as a source of magical power. Commissioned through ZACH Theatre and the BIPOC Superhero Project, the work was further developed through Live & In Color, The Orchard Project, the Austin Latinx New Play Festival, and the NAMT Songwriters Showcase, culminating in its 2026 world premiere at ZACH Theatre.

Current commissions include We Three Queens (Oregon Cabaret) and The Crown Maker (Portland Opera). Past works include Exhaustion Arroyo: Dancin’ Trees in the Ravine (Cutting Ball Theater), desert in (Boston Lyric Opera), Spotlight on Trio (Camelot Theatre), and Black Friday! (Prospect Theatre Lab).

As a music director, I’ve worked with esteemed theaters and organizations nationwide, including The Old Globe, Je’Caryous Entertainment, South Coast Repertory, Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, Denver Center, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, American Conservatory Theater, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Arizona Theatre Company, Alley Theatre, Round House Theatre, O’Neill Music Theatre Conference, New World Stages, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and more.

Earlier in my career, I served as a music assistant on the first national tour of Hamilton and the world premiere of The Prince of Egypt (TheatreWorks SV). I have also served on national selection panels and mentorship programs for organizations including Doreen Montalvo Scholarship, The Orchard Project, Opera America, the Oregon Arts Commission, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and the NEA Songwriting Challenge. I’m a proud member of the Dramatist Guild of America, BMI, MUSE, and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

I currently serve as Associate Producer (Music) at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a Tony Award–winning organization and one of the country’s preeminent regional theaters. I oversee all music for productions across a 9–11 play and musical repertory, manage music personnel, and implement industry-standard music processes.

When I’m not writing, conducting, or producing, I’m usually chasing stories through my camera lens, wrangling our two dogs and two cats, or plotting my next adventure to Disneyland with my wife.

Jesse is represented by Katie Gamelli at Paladin Artists. Full Bio Here.

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