Ben Wexler is a New York-based songwriter. He is a recipient of the 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant, was the founding artistic director of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, awarded a 2020 Special Tony Award, and currently serves on the Tony Nominating Committee. His work has been performed by Billy Porter, Idina Menzel, Victoria Clark, Tituss Burgess, and many more.
Recent projects include Maestro (Whitman/Grove New Works Commission), Saturday Night Seder (with Benj Pasek), BLOCKED (TheaterWorks USA Commission), and Washington Square (with Kirsten Childs). He arranged and co-produced new music for the feature film Speech and Debate, with screenplay by Stephen Karam (Sycamore Pictures, 2017), and scored the "Space Out" episode of Immersions for Discovery Channel. He was music supervisor and arranger for Fun Home's Spotify Session, the first-ever featuring a Broadway Musical. His work on "Artists in Residence" (featuring Victoria Clark) was added to the Library of Congress in 2022.
Ben is the Founding Artistic Director of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which works to dismantle systemic racism through the power of storytelling and the leadership of people directly affected, and is a teaching artist for Lincoln Center's Songwriting in the Schools program. Ben served as associate to Jeanine Tesori on four seasons of Encores: Off-Center at New York City Center, and for Fun Home, Violet, and Sunday in the Park With George, all on Broadway.
Ben has been commissioned to compose original music for show choirs in ten states, from Alabama to California to Ohio, leading these groups to top honors at both local and national competitions.
Ben trained through the New Dramatists' Composer-Librettist studio, The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Writing Workshop (Harrington Award Winner), and was a Dramatists Guild Fellow (2015-16). He holds a B.A. in Music Composition from Yale University (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Betta Kappa).
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Press:
“Some of the songs, in particular, are a joy. Victoria Clark’s polished and deeply felt rendition of Essential by Ben Wexler is delightful.”
Jonathan Cash, The Reviews Hub
“It’s hard not to immediately like Ben Wexler. He’s an incredibly endearing performer whose passion for his work is palpable. But beyond that, he is a notably gifted composer and singer.”
Yael Haskel, Writing on Theater and Film
“I can only marvel at his craft. Not only are the songs lyrical, they’re distinctively illuminating.”
Alex Cohen, Woman About Town
Saturday Night Seder featured in the New York Times.
Broadway Advocacy Coalition receives a Special Tony Award