MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Durra Leung (Chinese: 柯杜華) is a multilingual writer and composer for musical theatre and opera. Often supported by commissions and grants, Durra’s original musical works have been seen at NYC concert venues including 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, Symphony Space, and many others. He has provided new Cantonese translations and lyrics for a revised version of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (2002 Tony Award for Best Musical), most recently produced by Japan’s Toho Company in 2024. Durra also composes scores for dance pieces and films including “Your Smile” (dir. Haochen Yang) which was in the Cannes Film Festival in 2020. Durra has worked in producing for The Play Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and PROTOTYPE Festival. Durra is an alum of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program as a composer, a current member of BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop as a librettist, a Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellowship Finalist, and a two-time Queens Arts Fund New Work Grant recipient (for “Durra Leung’s Lullabies for Motherf*ckers Vol.1” and “Durra Leung’s Lullabies for Motherf*ckers Vol.2,” two original full-length musicals that are parts of a multiverse trilogy). Born and raised in Guangzhou, China, he now calls NYC home. durraleung.com