Adam J. Rineer

Adam (they/he) is a composer, lyricist, librettist, music director, pianist, orchestrator/arranger, queer scholar, educator, and artistic leader, based in NYC, dedicated to new musical theatre and interdisciplinary collaboration. Through creating and facilitating music in theatre, they tell stories that examine “otheredness”, queer social norms, and teach empathy accessibly through a wide range of music styles. Adam's musical composition explores popular/vernacular music styles in combination with contemporary classical composition techniques. They are constantly looking to expand the definition of musical theatre.
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As a writer, Adam's musicals include THIRD SEX: 1930s transvestite lieder (HERE Arts Center, Pete's Candy Store, The Parkside Lounge, The Maker's Ensemble), ​The Naked Truth​ (Semi-Finalist—Eugene O'Neill National Musical Theatre Conference, The Green Room 42, The West End Lounge), ​Obscene, Lewd, Lascivious, and Filthy!​ (National Alliance for Musical Theatre 15-minute Musical Contest Winner, The Latest Draft Podcast), ​A Trip To The Moon​ (The Maas Building, Temple University, Polyphone Musical Festival Semi-Finalist, CAP21), ​Ghosted​ (2020 National Coming out Day Short Play Festival, featured at New York Musical Festival), , Sick Moves! (or The Dancing Plague of 1518) (Temple University workshop production),​ and ​BrandedTM!​ (Polyphone Musical Festival Finalist). Their works in early development include Public Dominance (Roundabout Space Jam) and Bitchfest: LIVE! (DGF Fellowship Finalist, commissioned by Prima Theatre). Their songs have been featured in “A Little New Music” (LA new musical theatre series) and at New York Musical Festival (N.Y.M.F.) as well as various cabarets and concerts across the country. In 2017, they were a songwriter on the second season of the award-winning web series Merce from which one of Adam's songs POZ Magazine called an "HIV anthem for everyone". They are also a songwriter on the upcoming first season of Trust the Process, a musical mockumentary series produced by Exequtive Entertainment, LLC.​ In addition to dramatic work, Adam has written a number of electronic works and chamber music pieces.
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As a music director, Adam has worked at institutions including Goodspeed Musicals, MCC Theatre, TheatreWorks Hartford, Prima Theatre, Gretna Theatre, Interlakes Summer Theatre, and various NYC cabarets and concert performances. As an educator, they have worked with students as an instructor, music director, or accompanist at NYU-New Studio on Broadway, CAP21/Molloy College, Temple University, The University of the Arts, and The Hartt School.
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As an artistic leader, Adam co-founded the UNTITLED Musical Project which is dedicated to providing space for marginalized musical theatre writers of BIPOC/Global Majority, LGBTQIA+/Queer, and their intersecting identities to develop their work and engage in supporting and critiquing their colleague's work. The UNTITLED Musical Project is a community partner with the Dramatist Guild Foundation.
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Adam graduated from Temple University as part of the inaugural George and Joy Abbott Musical Theatre cohort with an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Collaboration (Composer/Lyricist Concentration) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Adam is also part of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. They graduated with a B.A. in Music (Performance Emphasis: Piano) from the Tell School of Music at Millersville University. Adam is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild.