Stephen Sondheim, one of the most influential and accomplished composer/lyricists in Broadway history, was born in New York City and raised in New York and Pennsylvania. As a teenager he met Oscar Hammerstein II, who became Sondheim's mentor. Sondheim graduated from Williams College, where he received the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition.

After graduation he studied music theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. He worked for a short time in the 1950s as a writer for the television show Topper; his first professional musical theatre job was as the songwriter for the unproduced musical SATURDAY NIGHT. He wrote the lyrics for WEST SIDE STORY (1957), GYPSY (1959) and DO I HEAR A WALTZ? (1965), as well as additional lyrics for CANDIDE (1973). Musicals for which he has written both music and lyrics include A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1962), ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (1964), Company (1970 - 1971 Tony Award Music and Best Lyrics), FOLLIES (1971 - 1972 Tony Award Score and New York Drama Critics Circle Award; revised in London, 1987), A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1973 - Tony Award Score), THE FROGS (1974), PACIFIC OVERTURES (1976 - New York Drama Critics' Circle Award), SWEENEY TODD (1979 - Tony Award Score), MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (1981), SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (1984 - New York Drama Critics Circle Award; 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama), INTO THE WOODS (1987 - Tony Award Score), ASSASSINS (1991) and PASSION (1994 - Tony Award Score).

He composed the songs for the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966), co-authored the film “The Last of Sheila” (1973) and provided incidental music for THE GIRLS OF SUMMER (1956), INVITATION TO A MARCH (1961) and TWIGS (1971). SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM (1976), MARRY ME A LITTLE (1981), YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW (1983; originally presented as A STEPHEN SONDHEIM EVENING) AND PUTTING IT TOGETHER (1993) are anthologies of his work. He has written scores for the films “Stavisky” (1974) and “Reds” (1981), and composed songs for the film “Dick Tracy” (1990 - Academy Award for Best Song).

He is on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers and lyricists, having served as its president from 1973 until 1981, and in 1983 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1990 he was appointed the first Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. He was also recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.