Val Vigoda

We are BEYOND excited to welcome back the great Val Vigoda to MWROC 2024’s faculty! Val is not only a valued member of our Electrify Your Symphony team of Artist Mentors but is a cutting-edge and visionary artist whose classes have ALWAYS been a highlight of camp!

Val Vigoda is a singer, electric violinist, songwriter and keynote speaker, best known for her unique combination of gorgeous vocals, dazzling electric violin, and powerful lyricism. Her life journey has taken her: around the world on rock tours with Cyndi Lauper, Joe Jackson, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and her own acclaimed indie band GrooveLily; to the theatrical stages of New York as an award-winning writer and performer in multiple groundbreaking hit musicals; into the hearts of millions as a prolific Disney songwriter; and most recently, onto conference stages where she combines music and speaking to deliver potent “keynote concerts” on some of her favorite subjects—creativity, resilience, optimism and courage.

She’s co-written: 8 full-length musicals, 7 of which have been produced regionally and/or Off-Broadway, or on a Disney cruise ship (TOY STORY THE MUSICAL); many songs for Disney attractions, live shows and movies, including 4 TINKER BELL films; songs for the Muppets to sing in interactive games; song collections for Hooked on Phonics; and countless more, including 8 well-received indie albums—2 as a solo artist and 6 with her former band.

Val’s main collaborator these days is Ryan O’Connell – find out more about their work together here.

A pioneering writer-actor-musician in award-winning original shows such as STRIKING 12, SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES, and ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME, Val is also a cutting-edge live-looping artist, and a former Army lieutenant. She has taught at Stanford, Emerson College, Berklee College of Music and the University of Washington, and serves as an Artist Mentor for the trailblazing Electrify Your Strings program, which brings rock arrangements and high-octane performance energy to school orchestras throughout the nation.

She is the recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, the LA Ovation Award for Best Musical, the ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical. Val lives in Los Angeles with her son Mose.

Find out more about this incredible artist at valvigoda.com