Benjamin Velez is an American composer and lyricist celebrated for his dynamic contributions to contemporary musical theatre. Born in 1988 in Miami, Florida, to a Colombian father and an American mother, Velez developed a passion for storytelling through music early in life. He pursued this interest at Columbia University, where he studied film and penned the 114th Annual Varsity Show, marking the beginning of his journey into musical composition.
A dedicated member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop since 2010, Velez was honored with the Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in 2012. His original works have been showcased at esteemed venues such as the Yale Institute for Music Theater, Ars Nova, Dixon Place, Joe's Pub, and the York Theater.
Among his notable projects is Afterland, co-written with Katie Hathaway, which was developed at the Yale Institute for Music Theater and the York Theater. His musical Borderline, created with Aryanna Garber, received the 2018 Weston Playhouse New Musical Award and premiered at the 2019 O’Neill National Musical Theater Conference.
Velez also collaborated with John Leguizamo, Tony Taccone, and David Kamp on Kiss My Aztec!, a satirical musical that debuted at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and later ran at La Jolla Playhouse and Hartford Stage.
In 2023, Velez composed the score for a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest for the Public Theater’s Public Works program, which premiered at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
Velez co-composed the music and lyrics for Real Women Have Curves: The Musical alongside Joy Huerta. The production premiered at the American Repertory Theater in December 2023 and is set to open on Broadway in April 2025.
Throughout his career, Velez has received numerous accolades, including the Fred Ebb Award, the Jonathan Larson Grant, the Stephen Schwartz Award, and the Kleban Prize for Lyrics. He continues to be a prominent figure in musical theatre, known for his innovative compositions and commitment to diverse storytelling.