JOSH FREILICH is a New York City-based composer (and sometimes lyricist) who works as a pianist, accompanist, musical director, orchestrator, and arranger.
Born in the small hamlet of Ardsley, New York in the later period of the 1980s, Josh's life has been continuously devoted to music. It all started with a little electronic musical toy that drove his parents nuts. If that didn't help with his understanding of pitch and harmony, he didn't know what would. So he decided to start legit piano lessons at the age of 4, having plinked and plunked on his parents' rackety old upright piano since the age of 2. Of course, it wasn't long before Josh would start taking up jazz piano, in addition to the long-haired music. Then came elementary school, where he would then joyfully render his version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at his Earth Day assembly, which was really not bad for a 5-year-old. One thing led to another, and Josh was asked to play at almost every school event that involved at least some music. Soon, after numerous school concerts and musicals, Josh made a move on to the big city of New York, where he got his Bachelor of Music for jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music. MSM taught Josh the craft of composing, arranging, and orchestrating as well as jazz piano.
Having been exposed to a plethora of different musical styles in addition to the normal kid-friendly repertoire, Josh went to his first Broadway show at the age of 9. And his world changed forever. (Side note: He was actually listening to Porter and Gershwin LONG BEFORE THAT.) As Josh was wrapping up his middle school years and about to transfer to high school, the show bug's bite was growing stronger and stronger. When he started playing rehearsals for his first high school musical production EVER, it hit him like a ton of bricks: THIS WAS HIS NEW HOBBY. That statement would then lead to his first Summer of Epic Awesomeness at French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts in Hancock, NY, where Josh experienced a similar buzz when he got to play the iconic opening chords of Stephen Schwartz's Pippin. Later that summer, when he saw a new production of an old musical by Jerry Herman, Josh suddenly realized that he also might want to write for the theater to experience it from the behind-the-scenes aspect. 4 high school years, 8 MSM semesters, 7 summers, and some countless legendary musical theatre vamp passages later, Josh decided to put his musical theatre composition skills to the test at the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Here, Josh had the pleasure to work with many fantastic collaborators, who also had the chance to write a full-length 90-minute musical show in under a year, and get it cast and rehearsed in under a week. Besides musical theatre, Josh has also written and arranged for symphonic band, orchestra, chorus, and modern dance, and as of January 2012, his compositional works have been heard at numerous venues across the United States. Among the luminaries Josh has worked with are Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kerry Butler, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Jimmy Heath, Paul Gemignani, and Mark Gould.
He currently lives near Lincoln Center.
Born in the small hamlet of Ardsley, New York in the later period of the 1980s, Josh's life has been continuously devoted to music. It all started with a little electronic musical toy that drove his parents nuts. If that didn't help with his understanding of pitch and harmony, he didn't know what would. So he decided to start legit piano lessons at the age of 4, having plinked and plunked on his parents' rackety old upright piano since the age of 2. Of course, it wasn't long before Josh would start taking up jazz piano, in addition to the long-haired music. Then came elementary school, where he would then joyfully render his version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at his Earth Day assembly, which was really not bad for a 5-year-old. One thing led to another, and Josh was asked to play at almost every school event that involved at least some music. Soon, after numerous school concerts and musicals, Josh made a move on to the big city of New York, where he got his Bachelor of Music for jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music. MSM taught Josh the craft of composing, arranging, and orchestrating as well as jazz piano.
Having been exposed to a plethora of different musical styles in addition to the normal kid-friendly repertoire, Josh went to his first Broadway show at the age of 9. And his world changed forever. (Side note: He was actually listening to Porter and Gershwin LONG BEFORE THAT.) As Josh was wrapping up his middle school years and about to transfer to high school, the show bug's bite was growing stronger and stronger. When he started playing rehearsals for his first high school musical production EVER, it hit him like a ton of bricks: THIS WAS HIS NEW HOBBY. That statement would then lead to his first Summer of Epic Awesomeness at French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts in Hancock, NY, where Josh experienced a similar buzz when he got to play the iconic opening chords of Stephen Schwartz's Pippin. Later that summer, when he saw a new production of an old musical by Jerry Herman, Josh suddenly realized that he also might want to write for the theater to experience it from the behind-the-scenes aspect. 4 high school years, 8 MSM semesters, 7 summers, and some countless legendary musical theatre vamp passages later, Josh decided to put his musical theatre composition skills to the test at the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Here, Josh had the pleasure to work with many fantastic collaborators, who also had the chance to write a full-length 90-minute musical show in under a year, and get it cast and rehearsed in under a week. Besides musical theatre, Josh has also written and arranged for symphonic band, orchestra, chorus, and modern dance, and as of January 2012, his compositional works have been heard at numerous venues across the United States. Among the luminaries Josh has worked with are Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kerry Butler, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Jimmy Heath, Paul Gemignani, and Mark Gould.
He currently lives near Lincoln Center.
