"It's a fantastic opportunity. I am a big fan of Mr. Schwartz's work, and it is exciting to hear his feedback, regardless of whether it is criticism or encouragement," Liang said.

In response to an audience member's question about his knack for achieving popular appeal with his works, Schwartz pointed to heartfelt simplicity as the key.

"What I have learned is that the more honest and specific I am about what I am writing, the more it has universal appeal," he said. "All of us as human beings have some instinct for what is true and what is not, and we respond to what it true. It is universal."

The class served as the culmination of a longer visit to Harvard by Schwartz, during which he met extensively with members of the Hillel Drama Society, which will be putting on his most recent work, Children of Eden, in January.

Schwartz is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and attended Julliard while in high school.

He captured his first two Oscars in 1996 in cooperation with Alan Menken for their work on "Pocahontas" (1995). He took away two more on his own this year for "The Prince of Egypt" (1998). He recently released a CD entitled Reluctant Pilgrim, featuring 11 new songs Schwartz composed and sung himself.