ABOUT

Rick Edinger (he/they) is a proud queer AAPI music supervisor, music director, vocal coach, pianist, actor, and educator based in New York & Pittsburgh. Edinger serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the Carnegie Mellon University Center for New Work, Chair of the Acting/ Music Theater program, and Associate Professor of Music Theater at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. 

Edinger is best known for his work as a developer of new musicals, serving as Music Supervisor & Music Director. Recent & current projects as Music Supervisor/ Music Director include: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical by Joe Iconis (La Jolla Playhouse/ Signature Theatre Arlington; Christopher Ashley, director), The Visitor by Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey, and Kwame Kwei-Armah (The Public Theater I Daniel Sullivan, director), Trading Places by Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner, and Thomas Patrick Lennon (Alliance Theatre | Kenny Leon, director), In the Mood by Karen Hartman (Workshop | Kenny Leon, director; Lorin Latarro, choreographer), The Brass Teapot (Ogunquit Playhouse- Workshop & NAMT Festival Presentation | Catie Davis, director), Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown (New City Music Theatre | Miles J. Sternfeld, director), Joy: A New Musical by AnnMarie Milazzo & Ken Davenport (George Street Playhouse | Casey Hushion, director), The Amazing Mr. X (Workshop | Jenny Koons, director). Symphonic Work: South Pacific— In Concert (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Associate Conductor to Rob Berman); Fiddler on the Roof— In Conert (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor to Andy Einhorn). Recordings: 2021 Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording of The Visitor (Concord Theatricals Recordings); 2004 Broadway revival cast recording of Pacific Overtures (PS CLASSICS); Wall to Wall Sondheim (XM SATELLITE RADIO).National Alliance for Musical Theatre: Festival Committee Member/ New Work Consultant (The King of Harlem, Wonder Boy, Interstate, The River is Me, Maya, Hart Island).

In a former life, Edinger made their Broadway debut as an actor in the 2004 Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Pacific Overtures (Amon Miyamoto, director) and the Broadway benefit concert production of Children and Art: A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim on the Eve of his 75th Birthday (Richard Maltby, Jr., director).

Edinger trained at Manhattan School of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Brooklyn College, and Hunter College. Edinger has served on the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre since 2021, as well as on the Board of Directors of Theatre Gap Initiative since 2024. They are a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians (Local 802), Actors’ Equity Association, and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television & Radio Artists.