Dianne Adams McDowell, a native of West Virginia, is an accomplished composer, conductor and vocal arranger whose work spans Broadway, regional theater and
internationally renowned venues. She served as vocal arranger for Broadway’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, recipient of seven Drama Desk Awards, four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a 2015 Grammy nomination. She was commissioned to compose for Radio City Music Hall’s Magnificent Christmas Spectacular.

With her longtime husband and collaborator James McDowell, she co-wrote the music and lyrics for The Wind in the Willows at the New Victory Theater, Bookends at the New Jersey Repertory Company, and their original Gospel Mass of St. Thomas’, performed at The Church of Saint Paul & the Redeemer in Chicago. Additional Broadway credits include vocal arranger and associate conductor for the Tony-nominated Starmites. She has also worked as arranger and consultant for Disney Theatrical Productions and Universal’s Theatrical Division.

McDowell created the score for Tazewell Thompson’s acclaimed JUBILEE, presented at Arena Stage and Seattle Opera. For another Thompson collaboration, Constant Star, she received the Philadelphia Barrymore Award, the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Award, and a Helen Hayes Award nomination. Her vocal arrangements have been performed on stages across the country, including Lincoln
Center, and in cities worldwide, from Tokyo and Shanghai to Melbourne and Stockholm.

(Feb 2025)