Composer Frank Wildhorn feels a ‘romantic connection’ with Korean audiences, and with four of his musicals playing in Seoul, the feeling appears mutual

Frank Wildhorn calls himself the ‘luckiest guy in the world’. The American’s musicals have struck a chord in South Korea, where four are playing in Seoul

The composer, whose work has been performed by stars like V of BTS, puts it down to his ‘common touch’, and reveals the best training school for songwriting

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Frank Wildhorn and his wife, Yoka Wao, at the opening night party for Paradise Square in New York. Wildhorn is known as the most loved musical composer in Korea. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 7:15am, 5 Jul 2022

By Dong Sun-hwa

Having to be creative can seem like torture for some people, but for American musical and popular song composer Frank Wildhorn, it is pure joy.

“I am a joyful warrior,” says Wildhorn. “I wake up every morning feeling like I am the luckiest guy in the world, who can make music with people I love and see how it touches their lives.

“The river of creativity is still flowing pretty well in my life, and songwriting is the most joyful thing for me. At the same time, I have to be a warrior because it costs a lot to produce a theatrical show and so many people’s lives are affected by what I do.”

His 1990 musical, Jekyll & Hyde, has been seen by 1.5 million people since its Korea premiere in 2004. This is the Moment, a number from the musical, has been performed in Korean by a number of A-list musical actors and K-pop stars, such as V of boy band BTS.