Kristen Elizabeth Rea

Biography

Kristen Rea is a dancing french hornist turned musical theater composer-lyricist. Her writing style ranges from quirky all-ages humor to more serious works with a soaring orchestral sound and a touch of comedy. Kristen also specializes in incorporating on-stage instrumentalists, a nod to her days as the French horn soloist in "Blast!". Kristen is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop. She also holds a BM from USC in French Horn Performance, and an MFA from CalArts in Music (and Theatre, kinda). She has also studied musical theatre music and lyrics at New Musicals Inc (NMI).

Original works include "End of the Line" (Music) written with Howard Ho (Book) and Chris Edgar (lyrics) which was featured at the Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival, TNNY’s Soundbites 5.0 Festival, and New Musical Inc.’s 15 Minute Musicals, and is available for licensing through MTI; "New Horizons" (Book/Music) written with Aliza Rabin (Lyrics) which was presented at BMI; "North Pole High" (Lyrics) written with Dan Margules (Book) and Rafi Nemes (Music) received a staged reading at New Musicals Inc., was featured in NMI’s "Got Musical?", and was a semi-finalist in Brookfield Theatre for the Arts’ Battle of the Christmas Musicals.
​
Over 12 years, Kristen served as the featured French Horn soloist in many tours of the Tony and Emmy award-winning show, "Blast!" and "Blast! The Music of Disney" throughout the US and Japan. She has also performed in other “instrumental spectacular” style shows at Disneyland (All-American College Band), Busch Gardens (Mix It Up), and Six Flags theme parks. Kristen also works as a pit orchestra musician for shows like the national tour of "42nd Street" and has performed with artists ranging from Randy Neuman to The Airborne Toxic Event.
​
A passionate arts education advocate, Kristen is a Teaching Artist and former clinician for Disney Performing Arts. She was the founding Director of Music for CITYstage, a performing arts education organization for underserved youth in Los Angeles, which she has helped build with the organization's founder, Emili Danz.

Kristen is currently a full-time music prep specialist, serving as a music associate for Concord Theatricals. She was previously a manager at the Birdland Jazz Club where she oversaw the opening of the Birdland Theatre.