Helen Park
American musical theatre writer (born 1986)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helen Park (born Hyunjung Park, March 23, 1986) is a South Korean-born composer based in New York City.[1] She is a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award Winner and the recipient of the 2018 Richard Rodgers Award. Best known for her score on the musical KPOP,[1][2] Park was nominated for Best Original Score at the Tony Awards, as well as three Drama Desk Awards.
March 23, 1986
Helen Park | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hyunjung Park March 23, 1986 Busan, South Korea |
| Occupations | Composer, lyricist, orchestrator, musician |
| Website | www.helenparkmusic.com |
| Education | New York University (MFA) |
Biography
Park was born in Busan, South Korea, and moved to Canada in her third year of middle school.[3] She attended New York University where she received her MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts. Park is also an alumna of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Work
Park is a composer-lyricist, music producer and orchestrator for the Broadway musical KPOP.[4][5][6] She is the first Asian female composer/lyricist for a Broadway play and the first to be nominated for a Tony Award. She is also the first Asian female writer to be nominated for a Tony in any writing category.[7]
Park is a songwriter for Over the Moon, a Netflix musical animated feature film directed by Glen Keane, which was released on October 23, 2020.[8][9]
Park composed the musical adaptation of Itaewon Class, which premiered in Tokyo in 2025.[10]
Awards and nominations
| Award/Nomination | Category | Nominated work | Result | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Music in a Feature Production | Over the Moon | Nominated | 2020 |
| Satellite Awards | Best Original Song | Rocket to the Moon from Over the Moon | Nominated | 2020 |
| Drama Desk Awards[11] | Best Musical | KPOP | Nominated | 2018 |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | KPOP | Nominated | 2018 |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | KPOP | Nominated | 2018 |
| Richard Rodgers Award[12] | Musical Theater | KPOP | Won | 2018 |
| Lucille Lortel Awards[13] | Best Musical | KPOP | Won | 2018 |
| Drama League Award[14] | Best Musical | KPOP | Nominated | 2018 |
| Off-Broadway Alliance Award[15] | Unique Theatrical Experience | KPOP | Won | 2018 |
| Tony Awards | Best Original Score | KPOP | Nominated | 2023 |