Jeanine Tesori is a composer of musical theatre, opera, and film. Her musicals include Kimberly Akimbo, Soft Power, Fun Home, Shrek the Musical, Caroline, Or Change, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Violet. She is a two-time recipient of the Tony Award® for Best Score and a two-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Her operas include A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck; The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me; Blue, which received the MCANA Award for Best New Opera; and Grounded. She is one of the first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.

In addition to her work as a composer, Tesori is the Co-Founder of tall popPy, inc, an artist-led social enterprise that seeks to instigate systemic change in theatre. She has also served as Supervising Vocal Producer on Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Founding Artistic Director of New York City Center’s ENCORES! OFF-CENTER series, and lecturer in music at Yale University.

Kennedy Center Education provides resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms and learning spaces of all types.

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Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.