Duncan Sheik, the Tony Award-winning composer behind Spring Awakening and more, has died, according to his Instagram. He was 56.
The Friday morning Instagram post said the “father, husband, son, brother, and friend” died on Thursday night “surrounded by love.”
A message shared on Sheik’s Instagram earlier this week by his family said he was “receiving medical care” and was “in critical but stable condition.”
“The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” Friday’s statement said. “From his Grammy-nominated hit “Barely Breathing” to his groundbreaking, Tony and Grammy Award-winning work on Spring Awakening, Duncan’s artistry touched many and leaves an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.”
Born on Nov. 18, 1969, in Montclair, New Jersey, Sheik rose to fame in 1996 when he released his self-titled debut album, which included his hit song, “Barely Breathing.”
The song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned him a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance.
Following his debut album, he released Humming in 1998, Phantom Moon in 2001 and Daylight in 2002.
While “Barely Breathing” established Sheik as a singer-songwriter, his career later expanded into musical theater, where he found success as a composer.
Sheik collaborated with lyricist Steven Sater and composed the music for Spring Awakening, which opened on Broadway in 2006.
He told Broadcast Music, Inc. in 2015 that around the time he was making the music for Spring Awakening, he wasn’t “a huge fan” of music that was happening on Broadway and he wanted to make the music for an audience “beyond the normal crowd that would go to a Broadway musical.”
The rock musical, based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play and starring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, John Gallagher and Skylar Astin, became a major success. It won eight Tony Awards in 2007, including best musical, best original score and best orchestrations.
He went on to compose music for several other stage productions, including American Psycho and Because of Winn-Dixie. He also collaborated with Sater again on Alice by Heart and The Secret Life of Bees.
In his interview with Broadcast Music, Inc., he added that working on musical theater has “helped broaden my palette.”
Sheik went on to release several more albums throughout his career, including White Limousine, Whisper House, Covers 80s, Legerdemain and Claptrap.
In May, it was announced that Sheik’s new musical, Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, would make its off-Broadway debut this fall. The musical is based on Moyoco Anno’s manga graphic novel of the same name.
An off-Broadway revival of Spring Awakening is also set to open this fall.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
