Sequoia Sellinger

Sequoia Sellinger is a Lecturer in Composition at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College, State University of New York. Based in New York City, she is an active composer, educator, and collaborative theater artist whose work intersects musical theatre, opera, and dance with feminist and anti-racist perspectives.

Educational Background:

• BMus in Composition, Purchase College, SUNY
• MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, New York University (NYU Tisch), recipient of the ASCAP Max Dreyfus Award and Schubert Scholarship
• Additional studies in composition at Nadia Boulanger’s Conservatoire in Paris

Sequoia's artistic practice centers on accessible, relatable, and humorous storytelling that reimagines societal structures. Her creative research focuses on musical theatre composition, feminist opera, ecological themes, and anti-racist narrative design. She challenges traditional forms through collaborative, community-driven processes that view art-making as a rehearsal for equitable living.

Her recent works, including the micro-opera It’s Noon, Do You Know Where Your House Plants Are? (2024) and musicals like Next Year in Connecticut! and Earth First!, reflect a strong trend in blending satire, environmental consciousness, and identity politics. These pieces have premiered at prestigious venues such as Ars Nova, Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, MacDowell Arts Colony, and American Opera Projects, demonstrating her national recognition and innovative voice in contemporary performance.

Scientific and Artistic Recognition:

• ASCAP Max Dreyfus Award
• Schubert Scholarship
• 2024 Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Grant
• MacDowell Fellowship
• Finalist, Syracuse New Works New Voices (2024)
• Finalist, Northwestern University’s AMTP (2024)
• Finalist, Newport NewWorks Festival (2024)

Sequoia is actively involved in mentoring and artistic development through her participation in the 2025 Prospect Musical Theater Lab Cohort, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio. While no formal list of advisees is provided, her role as a faculty member at Purchase College confirms her engagement in student mentorship and curriculum development. She is also supported by grants such as the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust Grant, which funds emerging composers.

She is affiliated with key professional organizations including the Dramatists Guild and Maestra, networks dedicated to supporting women and gender-expansive musical theatre creators. Her work is deeply embedded in collaborative labs and artist residencies, functioning as part of a broader ecosystem of innovation in American musical theatre.