Virginia Pike

Virginia Hart Pike has been living in New York City for over twenty years as a working artist and educator. She worked for seven years as the music assistant for famed Broadway composer Charles Strouse (Annie; Bye, Bye Birdie), musically directing his latest works. Virginia currently has two musicals in development: a song cycle called Songs for Women, and a musical called City of Dreams, which she is writing with her collaborators, singer/songwriter/dancer/choreographer Nathan Kassas, and Director of Next Level Generation Performing Arts School in Sydney, Australia, Robyn Kassas. Songs from the latter have been featured in Cutting Edge Composers concerts at the NYMF festival, at Joe’s Pub, and on broadwayworld.com.

Other works composed by Ms. Pike have been performed at The King’s College, the Jubilee Chorus and Orchestra concerts (various NYC venues), Christ Church, St. George’s Episcopal Church, and by a dance company she co-founded in 2006 called Skylight Dance Theater. Her modern dance work, Daughters, which included her six-movement song cycle for women’s choir, First and Fairest, was performed at The Salvation Army’s Theater 315 in Times Square, New York City, featuring soprano soloist Judith Blazer and conducted by choirmaster Kamel Boutros.

As a pianist and keyboard player, Virginia has played on Broadway in James Joyce’s The Dead and Amazing Grace, the Musical. She has musically directed many concerts and readings at various venues, including 54 below, Joe’s Pub, The New York Theater Barn, and the NYMF festival, as well as readings of musicals by Charles Strouse with performers including Montego Glover, Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano, and Lili Cooper. At The King’s College, Virginia co-produced and musically directed the musicals The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Floyd Collins, Ordinary Days, and the NYC premiere of A Pound in Your Pocket, the first musical written by famed writing team, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams (also known for Bye, Bye Birdie and Strouse’s Annie). Other regional and NYC musical directing credits include Christmas is Coming Uptown (at Medgar Evers, dir. by Ben Harney), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Fordham University), The Drowsy Chaperone (Fordham University), A Wonderful Life (Theater Virginia), The Lively Lad (NYSAF Festival), and The Night Governess (The McCarter Theater). She’s also assisted musically on the development of Amazing Grace, the Musical and on several shows at the City Center Encores! Series.

Time at King's: 2012 to Present