Lee Bynum

Biography

Lee Bynum is a librettist, composer, and dramaturg whose creative work explores legacy, identity, transformation, and the power of sound to tell untold stories. A classically trained flautist and vocalist, Lee’s artistic voice is rooted in both rigorous scholarship and lived experience, blending musical invention with historical excavation, queer embodiment, and theatrical poetry. As a librettist, Lee is currently at work on Dear Olly, a new opera created in collaboration with acclaimed composer Nkeiru Okoye and commissioned by Opera North in the United Kingdom, scheduled to premiere in 2026.

As a dramaturg, Lee has supported dozens of artists and productions across opera, musical theatre, and interdisciplinary performance, including partnerships with American Opera Projects, Lincoln Center, Minnesota Opera, and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Their dramaturgical work is defined by deep research, a sensitivity to cultural context, and a commitment to elevating marginalized voices through new and revived works.

Lee has published critical essays and reviews on musical theatre, classical music, film, and literature, and has contributed dozens of scholarly articles and reference works on artists, productions, and aesthetic movements. They are a passionate advocate for creators working at the intersections of form, genre, and identity. With an artistic practice that fuses intellectual inquiry with emotional resonance, Lee builds spaces—on stage and behind the scenes—for stories that need to be heard and for creators who deserve to be seen.

In March 2025, Lee was named the first Executive Director of Maestra Music, where they lead the organization’s efforts to expand equity and access for women and nonbinary artists in musical theater through bold advocacy, strategic growth, and visionary artistic partnership. They have lectured on arts equity at Yale University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School, and serve on the boards of the Black Feminist Project, Luna Composition Lab, the American Composers Forum, and The Dream Unfinished Orchestra. Lee holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University.