Tony Ramirez-Mata

Tony Ramirez-Mata is a Full Professor and Head of Musical Theatre at the University of Florida’s School of Theatre + Dance, with an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University. He is an affiliate faculty member at the Center for Latin American Studies and serves on advisory boards for Latinx Talks and Latine Musical Theatre Lab.

• Academic Affiliation: University of Florida, Columbia University, University of Windsor, Institute of the Arts Barcelona, Cambridge University
• Research & Practice: Musical Theatre, Latino Theatre, Directing, Choreography, Documentary Film

His directing and choreography have received 15+ awards, including seven Latin ACE Awards, four HOLA Awards, and six Meritorious Achievement Awards from the Kennedy Center. In 2017, he was inducted as a Fellow into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, and his documentary Theatre of Rice and Beans has screened at Tribeca Cinemas, Library of Congress, and Cannes International Independent Film Festival. Reviews praise his “visually crisp production,” “magical spell with music,” and “whimsical humor.”

• Selected Awards: Teacher/Scholar of the Year (2014), Presidential Medallion (2017), Lorca Award (1998)

As a director, he has staged iconic works like Spring Awakening (2016) and Chicago (2011), blending choreography, thematic depth, and educational excellence. His students have achieved success on Broadway and in regional theatre.