Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) is a Norwegian composer and pianist, living in the United States. Ola Gjeilo was born and grew up in Skui, Norway. He began playing piano and composing when he was five years old and learned to read music when he was seven years old. Gjeilo studied classical composition with Wolfgang Plagge. In his undergraduate career, Gjeilo studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music (1999–2001), transferred to the Juilliard School (2001), and studied at the Royal College of Music, London (2002–2004) to receive a bachelor’s degree in composition. He continued his education at Juilliard (2004–06) where he received his master’s degree in 2006, also in composition. From 2009 to 2010, Gjeilo was composer-in-residence  for  Phoenix Chorale.
He currently resides in Manhattan, working as a freelance composer. He is currently composer-in-residence with DCINY and Albany Pro Musica.
Major compositions: Sunrise Mass, orchestrated for strings and choir, Dreamweaver, written for choir, piano, and string orchestra on the text from a popular medieval ballad from Norway, The River for choir, piano and string quartet. He writes also works for piano and wind symphony, publishing through Walton Music, Edition Peters, and Boosey and Hawkes.