Erik Della Penna

Erik Della Penna is a composer, lyricist, songwriter, and musician from the Bronx, New York, who grew up on Long Island. He received a degree in Classical Guitar from the Mannes School of Music, where he received conservatory training.

Della Penna began his professional touring career in 1994 alongside pop singer Joan Osborne on the Mercury Records label. He subsequently toured and recorded with singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant in support of multiple studio albums, a working relationship that led to his becoming her principal guitarist in 2001, a role he has continued to hold. During this period he also toured with folk singer Joan Baez and joined the international ensemble Hazmat Modine as a guitarist and songwriter. In addition to these collaborations, Della Penna leads his own project, Kill Henry Sugar, a metropolitan folk duo formed with drummer and Grammy-winning producer Dean Sharenow. Across his recording career he has released twelve albums of songs, scored two films, and composed music and lyrics for two children's musicals.

His musical Dead Outlaw, for which he co-wrote the music and lyrics with David Yazbek, opened at the Minetta Lane Theatre in February 2024. The production was named a New York Times critic's pick and received eleven Drama Desk Award nominations, winning three, including Outstanding Lyrics for Della Penna. Dead Outlaw subsequently transferred to Broadway, opening at the Longacre Theatre on April 27, 2025. That production was also designated a New York Times critic's pick and earned seven Tony Award nominations. Among those nominations was a 2025 Tony Award for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, making Della Penna a Tony-nominated composer.