Joseph Trefler is a musical theatre composer, arranger, and copyist based in Brooklyn, New York. Known for his innovative approach, Joseph creates new works across a broad spectrum of styles, from contemporary pop-infused scores to nostalgic golden-age homages and everything in between. His passion for storytelling through music drives his creative process, resulting in captivating and memorable theatrical experiences.

A classically trained composer, Joseph has been penning musicals since high school. He composed the score and contributed additional lyrics for the musical Men With Money (book and lyrics by Bill Nelson), which premiered at the Aurora Theatre in 2019. His poignant song “Broken City,” written in collaboration with lyricist Alex Wind, was featured in the HBO documentary Song of Parkland, directed by eight-time Emmy Award winner Amy Schatz. Joseph's accolades include winning the 2015 NMI New Voices Project sponsored by Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment. A concert of his music was performed at Lincoln Center as part of the Broadway’s Future Songbook series. He also provided arrangements and orchestrations for Michael Cooper and Anton Dudley’s Marguerite, which starred Tony Award-winner Cady Huffman during its New York City premiere in 2019. As a music copyist, Joseph has worked on several Broadway productions, including Stephen Sondheim‘s Here We Are and the 2023 revivals of Camelot and Sweeney Todd.

Currently, Joseph is immersed in two exciting new projects: Before Midnight, a magical, fairytale-inspired TYA show about an aspiring fairy godperson (commissioned by Buicentennial Productions), and Psychic, a heartfelt and humorous modern-day musical folktale about a mother and daughter who venture into a mysterious town where the living can converse with the dead.

Joseph is a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music and the NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. For inquiries, please feel free to reach out!