Erik Della Penna

Erik Della Penna (born June 2, 1965) is a Tony-nominated American composer-lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He has scored two films, composed and written the lyrics for two children’s musicals, and has written and recorded twelve albums of songs. He has also been the principal guitarist for pop singer Natalie Merchant since 2001. For co-writing the music and lyrics for the musical Dead Outlaw with David Yazbek, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.

Early life Erik Della Penna was born in The Bronx and grew up on Long Island, New York. He is conservatory-trained, having received a degree in Classical Guitar from the Mannes School of Music. Della Penna also has his own band called Kill Henry Sugar, a "metropolitan folk" duo with drummer and grammy-winning producer Dean Sharenow. and earned eleven Drama Desk Award nominations, winning three. It opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on April 27th, 2025. This production was also designated a New York Times critic's pick and was nominated for seven Tony Awards in May of 2025.

Composer credits

Theater and film

Recorded music

Other credits

Awards and nominations