The GEMS Orchestration Program is generally delivered annually by the mighty and wonderful Hollywood Orchestrator Pete Anthony, and is subject to his availability. Pete has taught on the program in person and online each summer since 2019. Patrick Kirst also joined us for composition and orchestration score reviews together with Pete Anthony in 2024 during our double RTVE recording sessions. Last summer 2025 the fantastic Grammy winning composer Penka Kouneva taught the orchestration program. This year's Hollywood Orchestrator tutor is to be confirmed and is subject to their availability.

Overview

This intensive program is an opportunity for contemporary composers who are interested taking their compositions one step further by working with a Hollywood Orchestrator. Participants are taught orchestration skills, given assignment challenges and receive reviews of their work.

What does the program offer?

This program explores, the sounds and score notation related to each of the major instruments in the orchestra, and provides instruction on how to use those instruments in scoring and orchestrating for the screen. This will provide the contemporary composer what they need to know to successfully orchestrate their own and other composers compositions, thus broadening their career opportunities.

Who should apply?

Participants attending this program will want to learn new and additional orchestration craft skills from a Hollywood Orchestrator and apply these techniques to their own and other composers work. They are looking to be guided and exposed to a whole range of orchestration techniques for films, main titles and cues and learn about the process of orchestration. Experience industry standard workflows, collaborations and best practices and meet and network with like minded composers.

What to bring

Enthusiasm, Passion, Originality! You will also need experience in music theory. Have ideas about orchestration and composition for Film, Game & Visual Media. A laptop with a DAW installed, for example “Sibelius”, “Logic”. An optional midi keyboard.

What's Included

Hollywood Orchestration Program

Individual Score Review

Awards, T-shirt, Certificates, Photos

Outcomes

Once successfully completed, participants will gain an intimate knowledge of, and familiarity with, the sonority, range and unique dramatic aspects of all major orchestral instruments. This will provide them with the additional skills needed for a successful career composing and orchestrating for the visual media.

Tutor Profiles

Pete Anthony is Hollywoods busiest go to orchestrator and conductor for the last 25 years, working on over 400 feature films with Hollywood’s top composers, including James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, John Powell, Marco Beltrami, Marc Shaiman, John Debney, Theodore Shapiro and Christopher Young (The Sixth Sense, Spider-Man I-III, Terminator 3, South Park, Predators, The Devil Wears Prada, Wonder Boys, and Men in Black III, amongst others). Pete Anthony brings skill and huge experience in the art of orchestration to share with participants. Pete Anthony is Adjunct Instructor at USC teaching in the world renown Screen Scoring program. A once in a life time opportunity to meet, study and be mentored by Pete Anthony. Pete also composes music for films and the stage, and has had works performed by the Cincinnati Pops and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Message from Pete Anthony

"I’m always looking forward to our time together in Spain. My goal is to help you write orchestrations that are beautiful and balanced on the first read-through with live musicians!"

Penka Kouneva

Grammy-winning composer and top studio orchestrator Penka Kouneva has worked in Hollywood for 25 years scoring television (Dragon Age Absolution series), films (Aga, Encounter), video games (Legends of Runeterra, Prince of Persia) and theme parks (NASA). On IMDB, she has 180+ credits. Penka holds a Duke University Ph.D. in composition. Penka’s first mentor was the Emmy-winning composer Patrick Williams whom she met at Duke. Penka passed it forward and is now known as a great mentor who’s helped 100+ young film, game and concert composers cultivate remarkable Hollywood careers and become top studio composers. Penka has released two award-winning concept albums: The Woman Astronaut (2015, on Varèse Sarabande / Universal Music Group)[1] and A Warrior's Odyssey (2012, on Howlin’ Wolf Records / Sumthing Else receiving 5-star press reviews. Penka is on the Advisory Board of Game Developers Conference, the world’s foremost conference for game professionals. An Advisor for Sundance Composers Lab (2002–2015) and a Mentor for Game Audio Network Guild.

Message from Penka

"I am excited to share her passion for soundtrack analysis with media composers."

Patrick Kirst

German-born and Los Angeles-based film and media composer Patrick Kirst is best known for his work on Netflix’s hit romantic comedy trilogy, The Kissing Booth, which shattered streaming records across all three films. His impressive portfolio spans a diverse range of projects, from feature films and television to socially conscious documentaries and immersive media. Kirst’s scoring credits include the gripping two-season revenge thriller miniseries Woman of the Dead (Netflix), the Swedish survival drama Breaking Surface (Amazon Prime), and the opioid crime drama Inherit the Viper (Lionsgate). His work extends into thought-provoking documentaries such as Welcome to Pine Lake (CBSN) and Wasteland (Paramount+), as well as immersive experiences like Orca Encounter for SeaWorld. He thrives on crafting scores that bring out the emotional depth and authenticity of these narratives, embracing an intimate and nuanced sonic approach. Since 2007, he has been a professor at USC’s world-renowned film scoring master’s program, serving as chair in 2021.

Message from Patrick

"I had an amazing time at GEMS meeting some wonderful talented composers and the atmosphere of the program, led by the founder Nigel, is just superb."

We look forward to welcoming you to the GEMS Film Scoring Summer Program in Valencia, Spain.

In English

The GEMS Summer Program will be taught in English. You will need the ability to speak, understand and work in English, or follow with an AI translator. Bi-lingual Faculty support will be available during classes, mentoring session, and orchestral recording.

Itinerary

Class times are currently being scheduled. Dates, tutors and all program details are subject to change

Lunch Times

13:30 -15:30

Program Location

CSMVALENCIA

Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo

Calle de Ricardo Muñoz Suay, nº 4 46013

Valencia

Spain

MAP Direction

Recording Location