Stephen Letnes is a blind American composer and the Executive Director of Able Artist Foundation (MN), co-founder of 1IN4 Coalition (Hollywood) and co-founder of RAMPD (NYC). Stephen has composed music for over 150 shorts, docs, and features including the EMMY-nominated documentaries “Beneath the Ink” and “Say His Name: Five Days for George Floyd”.
Career Highlights:
*Film composer of EMMY nominated documentary “Beneath The Ink”
*Has worked with Oscar-nominated director Jim LeBrecht (Director of “Crip Camp”)
*Founder of AAF, Co-founder of 1in4coalition.org and rampd.org
*Interviewed for articles about film scoring and disability justice in the entertainment industry in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Forbes, Voyage LA, and others.
*Interviewed on ABC and NBC (local stations) WCCO Radio, KFAN, the Tom Barnard Podcast
*Has active/working partnerships regarding disability inclusion with Netflix, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, CBS, Shondaland (‘Bridgerton’), Showtime, the Recording Academy
*Has worked with TV producers to make the 91st Oscars, 74th Emmys, and the 64th Grammys accessible (ramps, audio description, ASL, etc.) for the first time ever
*Advisor on the UCare Disability Advisory Board
*Stephen’s other organizations, 1IN4 Coalition and RAMPD are Ford Foundation grant recipients and Zero Project winners.
*Concordia College 2021 “Sent Forth” alumni award recipient.
*Stephen is the only working composer who hires a minimum of 70% disabled talent – all of whom are blind (to combat the 70% unemployed statistic for blind individuals)
*Stephen is the US ambassador for Purple Tuesday
*Stephen has represented Sony Music – internationally – when mentoring underrepresented (BIPOC, Indigenous, and disabled) composers.
