Mark Galinovsky Interview by Jen Bush

Mark Galinovsky will be taking the new and exciting musical Relapse in wonderful musical directions.  He is their very talented music director.  An artist he worked with in the past might even say he’s “wicked” good!  He loves breathing life into new pieces of work.  “I’m a music director, composer, and pianist based in NYC. I have a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from NYU and a Master of Fine Arts in Music Direction from Penn State University. My primary focus is in creating and developing new work, whether it be my own work or exciting new pieces from artists nationwide. I’m the resident music director at Piper Theatre, a Brooklyn-based theatre company whose focus is in young/emerging artist development.”

 Mr. Galinovsky finds exhilaration in the integration of the text and the music when working with a show.  For him they are building blocks for him to explore and expand.  “l as someone coming in with a fresh pair of eyes, it’s exciting to discover dramaturgical connections between the music, the lyrics, and the book. I love figuring out how each song fits together in a cohesive way to tell the story we are striving to tell. And there is so much innovative and imaginative new work coming out post-pandemic that I love exploring and building.”

Forming positive working relationships with people can sometimes lead to working on future projects together.  That is exactly what happened with Relapse and what drew Mr. Galinovsky to this project.  “Joey McKneely and I worked together on a reading a few years ago and I really admire his tenacity and attention to detail. He pushes all artists in the room to achieve their very best and bring the words to life. When he asked me to come onboard to work on this dark and emotional piece, I knew that it would be worthwhile journey to take.”

Mr. Galinovsky’s openness and desire to honor the other artists he works with is the beauty of his creative process.  “I like to approach every project with an open mind and an open heart. My commitment is to the music, lyrics, text, and story, and I strive to be as faithful to composers, writers, and creators as possible. Once I get invested and immersed in the material, I feel as though I’m able to move through it as if I were a character myself.”

Mr. Galinovsky recognizes that shows with sensitive subject matter involving true stories require an added responsibility on the part of the artists participating.  The responsibility extends beyond being a caretaker for the material in the show.  Mr. Galinovsky is cognizant of the fact that audience members will find aspects of this show closely relatable to their own lives.  “There are real people like this out there and they deserve an advocate for their stories as much as anyone else. My passion is working with stories that haven’t been told, so when I approach a show like this, I am thrilled at the opportunity to get these words out into the world.”

After this new musical, Mr. Galinovsky and his artistic gifts will be jumping right into another new musical.  “I’m conducting the premiere of a new musical called “Charlotte Lucas is 27 and Not Dead,” presented by Piper Theatre at the end of June.”