Craig Bohmler is a composer/pianist/conductor whose works have been widely performed in the United States, Canada and Europe. Primarily a composer for the singing theater and voice, Mr. Bohmler has written three operas and eight musicals, as well as 150 art songs and numerous choral works.
ENTER THE GUARDSMAN took first prize in the International Musical of the Year Competition in Denmark. It opened September 1998 in London's West End and was nominated for Best Musical at the Olivier Awards. It had its American premiere at the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and subsequently an Off-Broadway production. It was the most produced new musical in the regional theatres in 2001. GUNMETAL BLUES was presented in the National Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Center at the Stratford Festival in Ontario. In addition to a successful Off-Broadway run, it has had over 110 productions in the U.S. and Canada. Other prizes include ASCAP and Dramatist Guild awards as well as showcases with the National Music Theatre Alliance. The CD of the Laguna Playhouse production was released in October of 2000. He has written incidental music for three productions at the Stratford Festival and a pantomime, GRETEL AND HANSEL for Shakespeare Santa Cruz.
Bay Area projects include numerous commissions with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra ( PENTIMENTO , CHIARASCURO , and SAINTS ) for which he received a Meet-the-Composer grant. He has musical directed for American Musical Theatre of San Jose, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Willows Theatre, and is Master Coach for Opera San Jose. His most recent opera THE TALE OF THE NUTCRACKER premiered in Opera San Jose's 2000 season. His musical MOUNTAIN DAYS-THE STORY OF JOHN MUIR premiered at the Concord Pavilion with the California Symphony and a cast of 85 in October 2000. An annual summer event, it will have its 5th production this summer.
Recent Projects include composing a large work ( SISTERS ) for Mission Chamber Orchestra, mixed chorus and children's chorus (Santa Clara Arts Venture Grant); a new musical for American Musical Theatre of San Jose (NEA Grant); a new musical for the San Jose Repertory Theatre, THE HAUNTING OF WINCHESTER (Fall 2005) (NEA grant); and a musical based on the Lewis and Clark story, SACAGAWEA (Summer 2005) for the John Muir Festival Center (NEA Grant).
Mr. Bohmler was musical director for the Banff Center for the Arts in Canada, where his first opera was produced. He has been composer in residence at the Desert Foothills Music Festival and SUMUTE Opera/Music-Theater Festival in Finland. He conducted his song cycle SONGS OF STONE (written with Marion Adler) commissioned by the San Diego International Symphony. Mr. Bohmler has served as musical director for the Phoenix Theater, Musical Theater of Arizona, and Chorus Master/Assistant Conductor for the Arizona Opera. He has designed numerous programs in aesthetic education for the Houston and Nashville Institutes, as well as The Arizona Institute, for which he was a co-founder.
www.craigbohmler.com