Jennifer Hartsell received her undergraduate degree in Music in Piano Performance and her M.M. in Composition from the University of Alabama. It was during this time that that she began pursuing her love of musical theatre professionally, playing for shows such as COMPANY and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. She completed additional studies in music composition at N.Y.U., and at Cornell University, where she was awarded the prestigious Sage Graduate Fellowship. Jennifer also completed coursework toward a D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano at the University of Minnesota.
Upon returning to Alabama in 2014, Jennifer joined the Theatre Department at the University of Montevallo. Musical Direction credits here include HIGH FIDELITY, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, and SPRING AWAKENING. Other MD/pianist credits include ANNIE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, INTO THE WOODS, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, OLIVER!, THE PAJAMA GAME, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and A WONDERFUL LIFE, among others. As a composer, her music for instrumentalists, vocal soloists, and choral groups has been performed across the U.S., Her critically-acclaimed musical drama PULLMAN CAR HIAWATHA debuted at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2013.
Jennifer also accompanies classes and lessons and teaches music theory and piano skills for the B.F.A. Musical Theatre degree program at UM.
