Elspeth
Collard
Composer / Orchestrator / Musician
British-Born, Brooklyn-Based
Welcome!
Hello and thank you for visiting my website! My name is Elspeth Collard and I'm mostly just a big music nerd. I grew up in a small town in the UK in a very musical-theatre-obsessed family, so music - and musical theatre in particular - has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started writing my own songs when I was 13 - while they may not have been anything we might call "good" at first, they did spark a passion that led me to study Music at the University of Cambridge, and ultimately to move to New York for the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program at NYU Tisch. I've lived here since 2018 (other than one year I spent in California, yeah it was pretty random I was going through a thing okay), and I currently reside in Brooklyn with my cats Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa, who are desperately trying to add several random letters and numbers to this description as I type it. I love writing music in as many different styles as possible, ranging from contemporary musical theatre to 60s rock to big band jazz and everything in between, and while my primary focus is musical theatre, I've also dabbled in film scores and standalone songs. I'm very drawn to projects that explore feminism, LGBTQ+ themes, and mental health, especially when these ideas are handled with equal amounts of humour and heartbreak. I also love orchestrating, vocal arranging, copywork/music formatting (yes really), and audio editing, and I sing and play a few instruments (most proficiently drums/percussion, flute, piano, and ukulele). In my other life, I'm a Music & Choir teacher (hi students who are obsessed with googling their teachers for some reason!), and in the rare moments that I'm not doing something music-related, I can probably be found taking a walk through a park, cooking or eating something delicious, or curled up in front of a cosy movie with a cat on my lap and a cup of tea. Click around to see some of my work, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you're looking for someone to do any of the things I can do!
Photo by Jose Miranda aka @pelenguino
Photo by Jose Miranda aka @pelenguino
News and Updates
ROSE @ New Musicals Lab
Elspeth and writing partner Sam Rosenblatt spent their third summer in a row having a delightful time at the New Musicals Lab in Newport News, Virginia. This year, they brought their musical ROSE, a pandemic project that they were very grateful to finally bring to life with this incredible company!
Out Being Us @ 54 Below
Elspeth & Sam hosted their fourth 54 Below show and second annual Pride concert, Out Being Us. The concert was a celebration of queer themes and stories, with a mix of new and old songs, excerpts from shows and standalones, and even a song about cats that was co-written by a cat.
Like The Wind @ SoHo Playhouse
Following a sold-out run at the Brick Theatre in 2021, Elspeth & Sam brought their show Like The Wind to SoHo Playhouse for a one night benefit concert performance in aid of The Trevor Project.
A Princess Story @ Marymount Manhattan College
Having previously showcased excerpts of the show in a virtual presentation, the Manhattan Marymount College Musical Theater Association mounted a fully-staged production of Collard & Rosenblatt's A Princess Story - the first full production of the show anywhere in the world!
Collisions is launched!
To mark the release of their concept album, Collisions, Elspeth & Sam hosted a launch party at 54 Below, where a selection of songs from the album - as well as two songs that had been cut and released as singles - were performed by an all-star cast and an incredible 4-piece band!
Streaming
Elspeth and writing partner Sam Rosenblatt have two albums and three singles available on all major streaming services! Check out the playlist below to hear what they've been busy creating!