New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Award-winning film and video game composer Penka Kouneva (Prince of Persia, Transformers) releases her much anticipated sophomore album The Woman Astronaut through Hollywood film soundtrack label Varése Sarabande on July 10. An original concept album composed in a cinematic style that is a fusion of symphonic music and electronica, The Woman Astronaut is the follow-up to Kouneva's critically acclaimed first orchestral album, A Warrior's Odyssey.
The Woman Astronaut is a personal, autobiographical journey of an ambitious, self-determined woman who has chosen a unique profession. Conceived in three acts, The Woman Astronaut takes listeners on an epic musical journey that explores the infinity of space and the reaches of the human experience itself -- ambition, perseverance, love and destiny.
Mirroring her own humble beginnings in Eastern
Europe and sustained drive to overcome adversity and pursue her aspirations as an artist, Penka commented, "The Woman Astronaut is an existential journey of a fictitious woman astronaut - from childhood to maturity, and from innocence to wisdom."
Kouneva composed the album on a scale to accompany an epic sci-fi blockbuster and was produced with the Hollywood Studio Orchestra and top Los Angeles soloists including the violinists
Lili Haydn and Katia Popov, the flutist Sara Andon, the vocalist Ayana Haviv, and choir. The album was co-produced by
Christopher Lord, music directed by Victor Rodriguez, and recorded and mixed by John Rodd.
A Kickstarter campaign, which raised $35,000, provided the funds for the orchestral recording. When industry insiders heard the music, the album got picked up by Varése Sarabande, the biggest soundtrack label and home to iconic composers like Ennio Morricone, Bernard Herrmann and Hans Zimmer.
Penka Kouneva has scored dozens of independent features (Midnight Movie, Primrose Lane), television shows (Forensic Files,
Modern Marvels) and video games (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in-game score and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen additional music); she is currently scoring H-HOUR, the spiritual successor to SOCOM.
In addition to her scoring assignments, Kouneva's credits also include notable collaborations with Hollywood composers such as
Hans Zimmer (orchestrator:
Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Angels and Demons) and
Steve Jablonsky (Transformers franchise, Gears of War 2 & 3), and most recently for Sony Computer Entertainment
America (Lead orchestrator on Bloodborne). She also made Hollywood history as the first woman Lead Orchestrator on films with a budget over $100M - Ender's Game and Elysium.
Penka has been honored with the
Aaron Copland Award, Sundance Composer Fellowship; Hollywood
Music In Media Awards,
Square Enix
Music Online nomination, Independent
Music Award; two Ovation Awards, The Visionary Award from Women's International Film & TV Showcase, Grand Prix at the Tokyo Young Composers Competition, Meet the Composer Award, and numerous Artist Fellowships.
A woman composer role model on the vanguard of the rising momentum for women creatives in entertainment, Penka Kouneva's The Woman Astronaut is her most exciting adventure yet.
Official album page:
https://www.varesesarabande.com/products/the-woman-astronaut
Preview samples:
https://soundcloud.com/penka_kouneva/sets/the-woman-astronaut-previews
