Born in 1944 to Hungarian parents, Claude-Michel Schönberg began his career in France as a singer, writer and producer of pop songs.

In collaboration with Alain Boublil, he is the book co-writer and the composer of La Révolution Française, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and The Pirate Queen. In 2008, his musical Marguerite, in collaboration with Alain Boublil, Michel Legrand and Herbert Kretzmer, opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London.

Schönberg has supervised overseas productions and co-produced several international cast albums of his shows. In 2001, he composed his first ballet score, Wuthering Heights, which was created by the Northern Ballet in 2002. His ballet Cleopatra, which opened in 2011, was his second collaboration with David Nixon and his seventh complete score.  In 2012, Schönberg co-wrote the screenplay and reconceived the music for the Les Misérables musical movie.

His shows have won many awards over the years, most recently the WhatsonStage audience awards for Best West End Show and Best Musical Revival for the London production of Miss Saigon.  Golden Globe winner, Oscar nominee and Grammy Award winner for his outstanding contribution to the creative community, Schönberg and Alain Boublil were honoured at a New York Pops gala concert in Carnegie Hall celebrating their 40-year collaboration.

Schönberg was appointed Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University and is now an Emeritus Fellow. He is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music where he is a guest Professor. Schönberg married the English ballerina, Charlotte Talbot, in 2003.  He is the father of one son and two daughters.