Lili Haydn

Lili Haydn is a Canadian-born violinist, film and TV composer, singer-songwriter, and former child-actress. She won a Grammy Award in 2019 for Opium Moon and was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics" in the TV series, Ginny & Georgia in 2023. In 2025, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Lullabies For The Brokenhearted for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.

Early life and education Haydn was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the daughter of comedian Lotus Weinstock and video artist David Jove, who was one of the first people to mass-produce LSD. Haydn's parents allowed her to choose her own first name. She reportedly chose the name "Helicopter" by which she was known briefly.

When she was three years old, Haydn and her mother moved to the United States. For a time, they lived at the Brotherhood of the Source, a commune in the Hollywood Hills led by Father Yod. Haydn's father eventually rescued the two from the commune cult. After graduating from Brown University with a BA in political science, Haydn started composing original songs and became one of the most requested session violinists around Los Angeles.

Career

Acting Haydn began her career as a child actress at the age of seven. She initially appeared in commercials and moved on to television and film roles. From 1979 to 1980, she played Jenny Columbo, daughter of Lt. Columbo and his wife, Kate Columbo/Callahan (Kate Mulgrew) in the Columbo spin-off series Mrs. Columbo. In 1983, she starred as Belinda Capuletti, the smart and sassy daughter of Rodney Dangerfield's character in the comedy film Easy Money. as well as several films with Hans Zimmer, including Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

Haydn won a fellowship to the Sundance Film Institute composing in 2009, and has composed the film scores for three films, Jacklight, The Horse Boy (premiered at Sundance Film Festival and released in 2009 by Zeitgeist Films), and The Lightmaker.

In 2008, Haydn accompanied Roger Waters at the Coachella music festival when they played "The Dark Side of the Moon". Haydn also performed on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008. That same year she appeared on the cable TV series Californication. In 2009, Haydn sustained neurological damage after being exposed to the pesticide Chlordane. While she was unable to write lyrics, she was still able to compose music. For the next five years, she continued working on film scores and composed music for her fourth album, Lililand, released in September 2014. 1996 - She's the One - (Tom Petty/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) - guest artist, violin 1999 - Anywhere but Here - songwriter, performer "Come Here" 2007 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - fiddle, violin, vocals 2008 - Californication - vocals, violin 2009 - The Horse Boy - composer 2010 - The Town - violin 2011 - Zeitgeist: Moving Forward - composer 2011 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - vocals, violin 2013 - The Wolverine - violin 2013 - Anita: Speaking Truth to Power - composer 2013 - Snowpiercer - violin soloist 2014 - The Sublime and Beautiful - composer, theme music, violin, vocals 2016 - Ben Hur - vocals, violin solo 2017 - DriverX - composer 2019 - Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words composer 2021 - Strip Down, Rise Up - composer 2021 - present - Ginny & Georgia (3 seasons) - composer 2024 - Bad Faith - composer

Activism A social activist, Haydn also performs regularly for various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Operation USA, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights Action Center. Her song "Unfolding Grace" appears on a 2004 CD compilation with U2 and Sting which benefited Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese pro-democracy movement.

Discography Lili (1997) Atlantic Records Light Blue Sun (2003) BMG/Private Music Goodbye Stranger Ep (2007) Nettwerk Music Group Place Between Places (2008) Nettwerk Music Group Lililand (2014) Evocations (2015) New Gold Music Opium Moon (2018) Be Why Records More Love (2021) Lakeshore Records