Singer/Songwriter

For information on Garry's Tony nomination go here:
Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education

Garry Novikoff is a multi-faceted artist and singer/songwriter; a unique folk story-teller, a composer of loveably ironic pop songs and haunting, heartbreaking ballads, an exceptionally clever musical theater wordsmith, an irreverent rocker, and an ASCAP award-winning children’s songwriter. He not only excels at all of these genres, but weaves them into a rich and complex artistic persona.

Garry’s musical career took off with his first recording, “Dog on the Moon.” “Dog” was recorded especially for “To Touch The Stars,” a compilation CD of songs about space travel produced in part by the National Space Society and the Mars Society. Folk icon Christine Lavin, a co-contributor on the CD, fell in love with Garry’s off-beat, folk story-song about the world’s first canine space tourist and the downtrodden average Joe who envies him. She immediately began to champion the song, which led to radio airplay by DJs across the country, including the legendary Jonathan Schwartz on (Sirius XM and WNYC) and Bob Sherman (WFUV). Upon the CD’s release “Dog on the Moon” climbed up high on the folk charts. It was featured on Daily Planet (a news program on Canada’s Discovery Channel), and performed in both Songwriters Hall of Fame and MAC/ASCAP showcases, the latter with the creators of “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon.” 

In her memoir, Cold Pizza For Breakfast, Ms. Lavin chronicles how Garry was unexpectedly called up out of the audience to perform the song at a concert with Pete Seeger and friends at New York’s Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center. Left-handed guitar player Garry took the stage, but seeing there were no lefty guitars there, improvised the song on piano, bringing the house down in what Christine calls his “A Star Is Born” moment. Ms. Lavin often delights in reading the story live in her concerts.

2009 saw the release of Garry’s full-length CD “A Normal Life.” Legendary producer Richard Barone came in to produce two of the tracks, among them, “I Like Men,” a deceptively innocent gay anthem, which was embraced by satellite radio’s Sirius OutQ station. “A Normal Life” received rave revues, with Time Out New York calling it “a catchy – and more importantly funny – collection of pop songs.” But beyond the humor, the songs on A Normal Life also delve deep, brimming over with honesty and humanity. WFUV DJ Bob Sherman described “Lenny” and “Good Night Rabbit,” as “two aching memories swirled into heartbreaking songs of love and loss.” 

A unique performer, Garry connects with his audiences with both ease and intensity, wearing both his cleverness and his heart on his sleeve. Garry’s material blends both the humor and pathos of everyday life, often blurring the line between comedy and tragedy. Grammy-nominated filmmaker Victor Mignatti remarked, “I am so taken with Garry’s unique brand of humor and story-telling. The songs are very sneaky. They reach up and grab you in the heart when you least expect it.”

With his cross-over appeal, Garry began playing all sorts of settings from rock clubs to coffee houses to cabaret rooms. Garry has performed in such diverse venues as New York’s Alice Tully Hall, the Cutting Room, the Metropolitan Room, Don’t Tell Mama, Dixon Place, Arlene Grocery, The Pyramid Club and CBGB Gallery. He held a month-long residency at Caffe Vivaldi in New York’s West Village, and performed at the prestigious Bluebird Café in Nashville. He toured the country with the outfit Girls Rock and Girls Rule as an “honorary girl” and performed at the Lizard Lounge in Paris.  He has shared stages with Jill Sobule, Jen Chapin, Jane Siberry, Christine Lavin, Richard Barone and many others.

As nightclub singers discovered the songs on “A Normal Life” Garry was embraced by New York’s cabaret community. In 2010 the artistic directors of the Duplex Theater mounted “Take A Number: The Songs of Garry Novikoff” which led to a MAC Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs nomination for his song “We Are The Meek.” Around the same time, Garry’s song “Spiteful” was covered by New York punk band Loki The Grump.

Tackling new projects has only brought him more success. Inspired by his work as a teaching artist in the New York City school system, Garry began writing children's songs. In 2011 his "Melody Song" garnered him the ASCAP Joe Raposo Award for Children's Music. " "Melody" is one in a series of songs from "Music To My Ears," his song-based children's music curriculum. "Rock Soup!" his original children's musical, is close to completion.  

2012 saw Garry branching out into dance music. “It’s Our Time,” a marriage equality dance anthem co-written with Athena Reich was nominated for two OUTmusic awards, Single of the Year and Humanitarian Songwriter of the Year.


In 2013 Angels In The Chamber came into creation, a singular project with musicians Pamela Sklar (flute), Enid Blount Press (clarinet and bass clarinet), Marc Wager (French horn) and Greg Burrows (percussion). This highly original lineup blends rock, pop, classical, atmospheric and improvisational music into a highly original genre all its own. In April of 2014 the Angels were finalists in the Battle of the Boroughs concert at the Greene Space for WNYC hosted by WQXR DJ Terrance McNight.

2015 Garry saw the release of a cover of Yoko Ono's "Age 39" on the much acclaimed Cut Pieces - A Tribute To Yoko Ono on Main Man Records. Garry is currently at work in the studio producing the release of an EP for Angels In The Chamber.