Kristen Baum

Kristen Baum is an American composer writing works for solo piano, art song, and film music. She holds a Master of Music in Theory and Composition with undergraduate concentration on piano performance. Her art songs are frequently based on fairy tale retellings. She has written songs on poems by Sarah J. Sloat, Sally Rosen Kindred, and Mary McMyne, among others. She finds art song a ready outlet for her keen interest in sharing stories, themes and ideas that matter most to her. Her concert works have premiered in Hollywood, Nashville, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Baltimore, and Berlin. 

Baum has composed scores for over 45 films and was a fellow at the prestigious Sundance Film Composers Lab, where she was mentored by top industry composers, including Alan Silvestri, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Christopher Young. Her film compositions encompass string quintet, small ensemble, computer-generated sound palettes and hybrid scores that blend field recordings with traditional instruments.

After more than a decade in Los Angeles, Baum now splits time between Nashville and Manhattan. In addition to being a composer, she is a published poet, children’s literature writer, and Editor in Chief of The Fairy Tale Magazine.