Gaelynn Lea

About the Author

Gaelynn Lea is a composer, musician, and disability rights advocate. Since winning NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, she has captivated audiences around the world with her haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. She has opened for Wilco, The Decemberists, LOW, and the industrial rock supergroup Pigface. In 2022, she composed the music for Macbeth on Broadway, directed by Sam Gold and starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga.  Lea is a sought-after public speaker on disability rights and accessibility in the arts. She has shared her perspective on PBS “NewsHour,” “On Being” with Krista Tippett, “The Moth Radio Hour,” “NowThis,” “The Science of Happiness” Podcast, and via two widely-viewed TEDx Talks. Lea is currently working on a musical she conceived based on the documentary Crip Camp and produced by Michelle and Barack Obama.