TESTIMONIES for PENKA’s FILM SCORES
Penka Kouneva is one of the most talented, hardest-working composers in media today. Her extraordinarily high work ethic is matched only by her ability to harness powerful thematic elements, emotion and structure to create music of the deepest beauty.
-- Victor Rodriguez
Music Director
About The Woman Astronaut
…. one can’t help but be immediately seduced by her beautiful melodies.
She sure hits a home run with “A Woman Astronaut”.
There’s something unique happening here. Listen. Now.
-- Christopher Young
Golden Globe-nominated composer,
Spider-Man 3, Ghost Rider
… original voice … powerful music!
-- Stewart Copeland
film composer, Police drummer, Wall Street, Ben Hur
… Melodic, contemporary and wondrous. … A luminous and inviting work ...”
-- John Debney
Oscar, BAFTA-nominated and Emmy-winning composer,
The Passion of the Christ, Iron Man 2
… Not only cinematically but musically Penka knocked it out of the park.
-- Patrick Williams
Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning composer
… beautiful, majestic, and haunting from top to bottom …
-- Brian Tyler
Emmy & BAFTA-nominated Composer,
Iron Man 3, Fast Five, Furious 7, The Expendables
Absolutely stunning. Breath-taking, beautiful, soulful, and the melodically soaring.
-- Nathan Barr
Emmy-nominated composer, True Blood, The Americans
Penka Kouneva's aptly named THE WOMAN ASTRONAUT reaches for the stars, but manages to go much further into the infinite. Filled with wondrous themes that redefine classical film scoring, Kouneva spreads her wings and soars.
-- Paul Salamoff
Film Producer and Post-Production Supervisor Starship Troopers 3, Hollow Man 2
"… a visceral and emotional musical odyssey …. Penka's the real deal and has the chops to deliver on every kind of film, from blockbusters to intimate Sundance dramas."
-- Wayne Kramer
Director, Cooler, Running Scared
Penka’s music is powerful, precise and peerless!
-- Dave Rosenbaum
Producer, Despicable Me 1, 2, Kung Fu Panda
… a rich and passionate journey of music for cinema … a compelling display of visceral storytelling. The artist transports the listener to a visual realm of unshakeable imagery …
--Kacy Andrews
Producer, Midnight Movie, The Curiosity of Chance
Penka's music is innovative, mesmerizing and brilliant. We filmmakers want to stand out from the crowd with a singular vision and style, and Penka's music delivers the goods. Penka is a classic with a skillset nearly impossible to find. With a musical voice so exquisitely unique, she lifts films from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
-- Kathleen Davidson
director-writer, Primrose Lane
TESTIMONIES for PENKA’s FILM SCORES
"Your music is PHENOMENAL, GORGEOUS, SO FULL OF HEART, AND BEAUTY, and so much more personal then I ever dreamed. MY JUBILANT and EXUBERANT THANKS! You are a treasure and I am filled with chills as I imagine this beautiful music playing in the theatre and into people's hearts. I also know how much it is going to help the actors to go deeper into the world of the play, and find the things that cannot be said. Beautiful Job!!"
-- Adriana Sevahn Nichols
writer, “NIGHT OVER ERZINGA”
"Penka’s contribution to the score of Ubisoft's PRINCE OF PERSIA game is outstanding. The gameplay experience is driven by an interactive music design system that is dynamically adapting to Prince’s acrobatic gestures or furious combat. The result is breathtaking: even though the compositional approach was complex and restrictive, Penka created inspired, rich and powerful music that finely fits the player’s emotional evolution. Her broad research for musical references and her devoted work nourished the creative process and allowed us to find the right blend between the Persian influences with the narrative and epic elements of the story. Our collaboration was very stimulating."
-- Simon Landry
Music Supervisor, Ubisoft Montreal
"I love the dark-epic aspect of your game music - it's violent and explosive and sweaty and gorgeous! The musicality of your rich harmonies and sweeping melodies over the propulsive relentless percussion is stunning. What a pleasure to bear witness to your evolution as a composer over the years. Congrats!"
-- George S. Clinton
Composer (Austin Powers films), Sundance Lab Mentor
"Penka is a magnificently talented composer. Her awesome music elevated "Dark Seas" tremendously.
She delivered tenfold."
-- John Shepphird
director (I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS)
"Seeing Penka at work was like watching a painter creating a masterpiece, one delicate brush stroke at a time... deftly and powerfully augmenting each scene. Note by note, scene by scene, Penka brilliantly captured and enhanced the emotional landscape of Richard III. The time and energy she devoted to this project was truly impressive, and her upbeat personality was an inspiration."
-- Scott M. Anderson
director (RICHARD III)
"I love Wednesday's score. I think it is brilliant. Penka's work stands above that of her peers. Her music speaks further than most will ever be able to realize."
-- Justin Hilliard
writer-director (WEDNESDAY)
"Penka Kouneva’s score for The Third Nail dances in between the two shades of light and darkness. Her music brings us to a higher level of understanding the human condition. With Penka's score, we no longer watch the film ... we feel it."
-- Kevin Lewis
writer-director (THE THIRD NAIL)
"Penka created an explosive and suspenseful score for Midnight Movie that brought the film to a whole new level."
-- Jack Messitt
director (MIDNIGHT MOVIE)