Lyn Koenning

Biography

Hi — I’m Lyn Koenning, an award-winning music director based in Austin, TX with over thirty years’ conducting and performing experience for productions at Austin Playhouse, TexARTS, Summer Stock Austin, ZACH, The Paramount Theatre, Mary Moody Northen Theatre, and The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance.

I headed up the musical theatre program at UT Austin for nine years, and my former students perform on Broadway and National Tours, cruise ships, in Disney parks and regional theaters across the country, and on television, films and web series.

I am the moderator of Maestra Texas, a Facebook community for the women and nonbinary people who make the music in the musical theater industry throughout Texas. In February, 2023, I music directed and conducted the Texas Medal of Arts Awards. Most recently, I have music directed the development of a new musical composed and directed by Todrick Hall and also played keyboards with Kathy Valentine, original bassist for the Go-Go’s, in the ZACH Theatre (Austin, TX) production of “Head Over Heels,” a jukebox musical comedy with music and lyrics from the catalog of The Go-Go's.

I’ve used my skills as a classically-trained pianist to accompany master classes for Broadway actors and directors including Kathleen Marshall, Billy Porter, Laura Osnes, Mandy Gonzalez, Ramin Karimloo, Judy Kuhn, Tonya Pinkins, Joseph Leo Bwarie, and J. Quinton Johnson...

...and to help develop new musicals with Tony- and Grammy-winning directors, playwrights, and composers like Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis (Urinetown), Cheri Steinkellner (Sister Act, Cheers), David Zippel (City of Angels), Matthew Wilder (Mulan, Hercules), Berton Averre (co-writer of 1979’s #1 song, My Sharona), and Tony-nominated producer Natasha Davison (The Prom).

If you're looking for a highly collaborative musical director or experienced musical theatre teaching artist, shoot me an email!