BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
TESTIMONIALS
"An incredible artist."
The legendary Hans Zimmer
upon listening to Suad's orchestral piece 'The Borrowed Dress'
"Music as beautiful as the sadness of the night and the joy of the daybreak."
Marcel Khalifé
on 'The Road to Jenin' from 'The Curve' original soundtrack.
Just before the world went upside down, I was shooting a thriller with a social commentary on how certain immigrant cultures, in contemporary society, are still holding back women from reaching their potential. 'In searching for a capable composer, my hope was to find someone who could embrace the emotional underpinnings of this film. I was hoping to find a woman. If not, perhaps an immigrant who understood the stress of obeying cultural norms while also trying to assimilate to a new environment. Turns out, I didn't have to pick one or the other, I got both. Suad is herself, a woman from a culture that does not ealways offer the same opportunities to young girls. When we first spoke, she immediately related to the main character and the drama of the tale. We both heard the same kind of music in our heads when we read the script. Thus a partnership was born to create the score for the film. Suad is everything you'd hope for in a composer: collaborative, imaginative, supremely talented, responsive to notes, and passionate. The film required near wall-to-wall score and in a very short amount of time. When we wrapped, the pandemic had just hit North America and by the time we locked picture, we were all sheltered at home. Suad and I had to do all of our collaborating via phone, Zoom, Skype, and semaphore. Yet, nothing seemed to daunt her. We had wonderful discussions about the different themes and colors for every character and every conflict. If her first pass didn't wow me, she turned around another cue immediately. In the end, Suad delivered a powerful, evocative score that was rich in the cultural sounds of the families in the film, yet still delivered on the love story and the thriller elements. It was a tall task and she delivered. I can't wait for the opportunity to work with her again.'
Stanley M. Brooks
Emmy-winning & Golden Globe-nominated veteran film producer & director
"You've written some seriously beautiful music."
John Welsman
award-winning Canadian film and television composer (Road to Avonlea).
"A wonderful album- beautiful, moody, heartfelt- Bravo!"
Beth Levin
internationally renowned and acclaimed American pianist, on Suad's piano album 'Thoughts'.
"Just listened to your Sospiro. Such a great piano piece with so much emotion but never tipping into the sentimental - always with an edge. You keep the listener engaged by the melodic content and just a little off balance with the harmonic density and Thelonious Monkish seconds. Very cool. Also you play it so beautifully."
John Roby
award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
"Suad's music, which is of the highest professional quality, was ideal for my film. She was a delight to work with."
Kenneth J Harvey
award-winning Canadian filmmaker
"As a very harsh critic of film scores, I was very pleased with the musical score toThe Curve, which screened at the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival. Instead of trite melodies, it was a treat to hear original music that fit the storyline perfectly. It was neither understated or overdone...
The composer used string/wind/keyboard using an unusual mix of instruments that fit those categories; bouzouki, oboe and accordion. I can't wait to hear what Suad Bushnaq does in any future films."
Donna Poppe
Professor Emeritus, Music Education, Pacific Lutheran University
"I had the pleasure of working with Suad on my short film, Lovesick in the West Bank. Suad was able to elevate the film to a level that truly exceeded my expectations. I was a fan of her music prior to working with her, but I’m a bigger fan now, especially that she was able to easily adapt to the genre we working in. Other than being exceptionally talented, she is so much fun to work with. She has great ideas and a specifically sophisticated taste but is also willing to try and experiment with many options before agreeing on a score that works for everybody. I look forward to working with her on my next film."
Said Zagha
Film Director
"I am always very selective and neatly precise about music in my films. looking for a partner composer for The Curve was a big concern, I then got to know Suad, and her passion, enthusiasm and creativity took me by storm, we worked on the music for 3 whole years, producing an hour of music to reach our 10 minutes of music used in the final film. Honestly, it was one of the greatest and most joyful partnerships in my work as a filmmaker so far."
Rifqi Assaf
Film Director
"I had the chance to work with the talented Suad Bushnaq on my experimental film "Stadt, Licht & Bewegung". The film contains of three chapters, and she was responsible to compose the soundtrack for the second chapter "Licht (Light)". I couldn't be happier working with her, as she has a high level of professionalism and creativity. Not to mention that she is one of the few well-acclaimed female composers in the Arab world, and with her understanding of both Arabic and the Western music, Suad delivers a unique style, that one could barely find somewhere else."
Waref Abu Quba
Film Director
"I am currently working with Suad as Music Composer for my feature documentary film, Twice Upon A Time. Suad is a very focused and dedicated composer. She is the type that wants to understand as much as possible about your project, get into the details and the feelings/emotions of it, and she performs based on those essential ingredients. Suad is easy to work with, she collaborates and adapts to the desired outcome with such flexibility, and -most importantly- she delivers on (or before) deadlines. I highly recommend collaborating with her."
Niam Itani
Filmmaker/ Producer
"Working with Suad was such a delight on all levels. I was looking for a little track online to fit with my crowd-funding video, then I met Suad. After we discussed the content, Suad surprised me with composing a perfect score for what I needed. She is very talented, has excellent communication skills, understands direction quickly and applies it beautifully. I will definitely work with Suad again, and I recommend that everyone else does too."
Zaid Abu Hamdan
Film Director
"We fell in love with the score Suad had composed for another film and had been using it as temp music in our short. Never did we imagine we would have the chance to work with her on new material, and we were so grateful for her generosity and professionalism when we reached out. Suad's lyrical, textured cues brought our nearly wordless film to life. She's set the standard for how I hope to collaborate with composers (hopefully her again!) in the future."
Alex Morelli
Film Director
"Suad is the Music Composer for my recent documentary, Colors of a Displaced Identity. The documentary is a work in progress and Suad has thus far played a key role in setting an atmosphere that brilliantly conveys the film’s journey. Through her music, she effectively helped in cultivating the emotional aspect of the stories that I followed. I am very pleased with how mindful she is of every aspect of her work. I am equally impressed with how coherent her music is coming along with the visuals. I feel very content that I chose to work with her and I highly recommend her as a talented Music and Film Score Composer."
Areeb Zuaiter
Filmmaker & Producer
"Suad is very flexible to work with. I'm very inexperienced in music terms and trying to express what I want with anything other than feelings, but she listened and helped me tell her what I need and finally composed a flawless track that I still cry because of how much it represents my work and my story. I would definitely want to work with her on film scores again!"
Leen Faisal
Film Director
"I've had the pleasure to work with Suad Bushnaq on two of my documentaries. No, pleasure is an understatement. Working with Suad has been a chance, a transformation, an uplifting experience. Her music fits the criteria that I request as a movie director. Her professionalism is top-notch. But it is her passion and her eagernesss to help, and on a personal basis, help me produce and go beyond my comfort zone, that makes her a unique musician. I have had the privilege to interview Suad for Québec 60. I think the footage is self-explanatory: she is metropolitan, friendly, human."
George Karkour
Documentary Filmmaker
"Suad is a very dedicated composer, she gave Salma's Home her utmost care. We worked closely and tirelessly until we found the best musical option for the film which was not a simple task but Suad's passion about the film took over, which rendered a beautiful, layered and complex score that gets to me each time I listen to it."
Hanadi Elyan
Film Director