College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Ian LeRoy as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre (Music Directing).
Ian LeRoy is a music director, pianist, composer, and educator whose work spans professional theatre, higher education, business, and technology. LeRoy has served as music director for productions and concerts with NYU Tisch Drama Stage, Norwegian Creative Studios, The New York Public Library, Creede Repertory Theatre, Michigan State University, and the Ohio Educational Theatre Association.
In addition to his work as a music director, he has worked as a pianist and vocal coach with Off-Broadway productions, Disney Parks Live Entertainment and Disney Cruise Line, NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program, and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
An active teaching artist and composer, LeRoy has led song improvisation workshops at theaters and festivals across the United States, and his musicals for young audiences have been performed for more than fifty thousand students throughout the United States and Canada. He previously served as Resident Professional Teaching Artist at Hollins University, where he taught MFA playwriting students how to write musicals. His scholarly article “The Miseducation of Musical Theatre Majors: Rap Pedagogy for the Stage” was published in the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance Journal.
Most recently, LeRoy composed and directed the new musical Signals with students at the University of Mount Union as part of the Eckler Lecture series. His work explores new approaches to musical theatre pedagogy, professional development for artists, and collaborative development of new musicals.
