Noga Kedem is not just composing for the screen—she's rewriting the narrative of what film music can be, and redefining who gets to write it. Kedem has been collaborating with Klaus Badelt, the legendary force behind scores like Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean, and by that she has stepped into a space few composers ever reach. This partnership isn’t just impressive—it signals the trust of industry legends in her voice and vision.
Together with Badelt and his long-time collaborator Mark Yaeger, Kedem has worked on high-level projects involving orchestration, score design, and sonic world-building. In a field still overwhelmingly male-dominated, her presence is not just exceptional—it’s necessary. It marks a new chapter in a musical career that is as fearless as it is refined.
This article follows Kedem’s path from her early days to composing alongside some of the industry's most iconic figures, tracing how a lifeline became a mission—and how a young woman made her place in a world where she was never expected to thrive. For her, being a female composer, an LGBTQ+ artist, and a storyteller are all deeply connected. It's not just about music—it's about representation, empathy, and emotional truth.
Born in Haifa, Israel, Kedem’s musical journey began at age ten, when a visit from the conductor of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra’s children’s choir led to an invitation that changed her life. “I was having a hard time at school,” she recalls. “Being bullied, feeling out of place. But in the choir, surrounded by music, I could finally be real, authentic, and full-hearted. Music saved me.”
By age thirteen, she was singing full opera scores in multiple languages like all the kids there, but what shaped her even more was joining a progressive metal band at a second music school—Venus In Fear—later releasing a full album in 2018. Between the choir and the music school, she lived in a world of sound. “It was a greenhouse for musicians to flourish. I don’t think they realized how strong that was—but many of us became professional musicians after.”
That combination—opera and metal, sacred and distorted—formed the foundation of her compositional voice: heavy, emotionally raw, and unafraid of complexity.
Kedem studied composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and later earned her Master’s in film scoring from Berklee Valencia. There, film music became the meeting point of all her influences—where emotion, theatricality, critical thinking, and all genres came together.
Her recent film work includes Forbidden Holiness and Kidney Trial, both by Director Doron Neeman. Forbidden Holiness was selected at festivals including Hollywood North, Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival, and CAMIFF, and won awards at CineFem and Madras Independent. Kidney Trial received honors from Kinografika and the Shoham Film Festival. She also collaborated with Mark Yaeger on The Paralytic and orchestrated the upcoming feature Valensole. Her collaboration with Yaeger and Badelt continues, with new projects currently in development.
Kedem’s process begins with the filmmaker. "My anchor is always the director's vision. I ask questions, I listen, and I try to understand not just the plot but the emotional truth behind it." That sensitivity to nuance, combined with a unique sonic imagination, defines her artistic identity.
Equally distinctive is her use of voice. In Kidney Trial, the main theme is built from a choral cloud of her voice—sacred like something between prayers and singing angels. In Succumbed Life, she used her voice in a rhythmic, existential way, creating a pattern that as a part of the instrumental ensemble. These two elements—deep emotional insight and an experimental ear—together form the backbone of what makes Kedem’s work so memorable.
Kedem draws on deeply personal themes. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, stories of identity and otherness resonate deeply. “Even now, I cry when I see a teenager come out in a film. That search for belonging—that’s in everything I write.” Her score for Forbidden Holiness, centered on women in ultra-Orthodox communities, reflects that empathy. “I want my music to be a vessel for voices that haven't yet been heard, like mine used to be.”
War and peace are also constant undercurrents. “When I was 8, my country was at war. And now, over the past year and a half, it’s been war again. Watching it repeat—this time as an adult—was devastating in a different way.” Last year, she recorded a war-drama orchestral piece at AIR Studios in London, inspired by both ancient Jerusalem and today’s reality. “Only hate can distract human society. The personal pain it creates is hard to describe with words—but music helps.”
For Kedem, music is storytelling, reflection, and emotional translation. “The art we consume defines how we live, how we love, how we see ourselves. American rom-coms shaped how I imagined love. Holocaust films helped the world understand generational trauma. I want to be part of that. Not for fame—but to support the messages that matter, with my music.”
In an industry still largely dominated by men, Kedem is unapologetically present. “I never thought composing wasn’t for me because I’m a woman. But when you look around and realize you're one of the only women in the room—you understand that just by being there, you're part of history.”
From choir lofts in Haifa to studios in Los Angeles, Noga Kedem is shaping the future of film music with depth, boldness, and heart—always driven by her belief that music can speak for those who haven’t been heard, and tell the stories that need to be told.
