Penka Kouneva
It’s a tremendous honor for me to participate as a composer in Women Warriors: The Voices of Change, a first-of-its-kind event conceived by Maestra Amy Andersson, Creative Director and Conductor. This is the most important concert I have been a part of to date because of its relevance to the current historical times. By tackling social and humanistic issues that are not usually addressed on a classical concert stage, Women Warriors also gives orchestral music an urgent social and cultural resonance.
Chapter
Three The AIDS Crisis
As an adolescent growing up in the 80s in Sofia, Bulgaria, I was very scared of
the AIDS pandemic. I remember thinking about the trauma each infected person
had experienced…I tried to imagine how it would feel to live with a death
sentence hovering over ones head. Later I got to meet and make friends with
people who were HIV-positive. Their incredible resilience, willpower and
commitment to heal touched me deeply. My music has urgency and drama, but also
compassion and hope expressed in the soaring emotional melodies.
Chapter
Five Earth
This segment shows Israeli and Palestinian women peacefully coming together and
searching for common language amidst the most violent, continuous and divisive
war of our modern times. My piece expresses love, care and humility at the
power of the human spirit to rise above conflict, hatred and profound
differences. I strived for the music to have timeless and universal sound.
Chapter
Seven Standing Rock
The feelings I had when watching the web and TV coverage of Standing Rock were
of utmost rage, anger and disgust. Water is the most precious resource on our
planet. Human life would be impossible for more than three days without water.
Yet millions of people around the world have no access to clean drinking water
and so many preventable deaths around the globe happen because of contaminated
water. My music is inspired by the minimalism of Steve Reich. It features
pounding chords and drums capturing my rage at the unjust violence against the
peaceful protestors at Standing Rock.
Chapter
Eight Starry Way
This chapter is about the women around the globe who have overcome profound
traumas in their lives and are lead by example as role models in their
communities. This track has international flavor as it features women like
Malala, Laxmi Agarwal and African women-leaders. Yet my impulse as a composer
is to always write timeless music that transcends space and time. Therefore my
music has overtones of curiosity and humanity.
Chapter
Eleven Me Too
This is a painful subject because such an overwhelming majority of women bear
scars from some form of sexual violence against them. The track is extremely
intense with seething anger and rage throughout, and a big breakthrough towards
the end symbolizing that finally this issue has been brought out into the open.
Women are the creators and nurturers of life itself; sadly throughout history
and still to this day they experience tremendous amount of sexual violence. It
is a great honor to compose music that underscores their battle.
Chapter
Twelve Airplane
This chapter highlights the women who have propelled humanity forward with
their courage, vision, integrity and selfless care for their fellow humans. It
honors mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers of all races and cultures, as
well as a number of distinguished women. My composition (co-composed with Fred
E. Smith) begins with soulful solo cello and then goes into a jubilant
orchestral celebration inspired by Beethoven’s Ode To Joy. It is one of the
most positive, uplifting and joyful compositions I have ever written.
Learn more about Penka Kouneva here: http://www.penkakouneva.com