Giving Back
Giving Back
Portfolio
About
Maria Zaharenia is a manager and music composer currently based in Sofia, Bulgaria. She began studying music at the age of 3 at The Ohio Conservatory in the United States. At 20, she moved to NYC and began working with grammy-award winning musicians from bands Banda Magda and Snarky Puppy and composing for filmmakers across the US. She has worked across many positions within post-production for film, TV, and music; including sound engineer, sound editor, music supervisor, orchestrator, producer, and much more. She currently works as a production manager for remote recording sessions in Sofia, and as a teacher and social worker supporting battered women and children.
Mentors
Christo Pavlov
2020 - now
Christo Pavlov is the director and conductor of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria. He is a renowned flute player, producer, orchestrator and composer, having worked on projects in the US, Europe and Asia for more than 30 years.
Christo has lead Maria through the world of orchestral post-production for film, tv and video games. He has taught her orchestration, management, and business.
Mark Rubinstein
2016 - 2024
Mark Rubinstein (1970-2024) was an audio engineer and teacher. His work as a recording engineer led to Grammy nominations and platinum records for his clients. He is one of the 100 people in the world who are certified by Digidesign as a Pro Tools HD Music Expert. He taught at The Ohio State University since 2009.
Mark lead Maria through the world of recorded music production. He taught her how to manage all aspects of a recording studio, from the technical to the psychological.
Teachers
Performance Teacher
2012 - 2016
Katherine Borst Jones is a professor of flute at The Ohio State University since 1985, where she conducts the OSU Flute Troupe. She was co-principal flutist of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra for 40 years and a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She has served twice as president of the National Flute Association and created the annual Flute Workshop for high school students. Professor Jones maintains an active career as a soloist and chamber musician, commissioning new works and performing internationally.
Composition Teacher
2012 - 2016
Donald Harris (1931 - 2016) was an American composer who taught at Ohio State University for 22 years and served as Dean of the College of the Arts from 1988 to 1997. He lived in Paris from 1954 to 1968, serving as music consultant to the United States Information Agency. Harris founded the Contemporary Music Festival at Ohio State in 2000 and composed symphonies, chamber music, and vocal works. He received prestigious awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and commissions from major orchestras.
Piano Teacher
1997 - 2010
Tricia Thomson is a piano teacher and the founder of The Ohio Conservatory, which she established in 1996. She continues to serve as the conservatory's director and primary instructor, maintaining an active teaching schedule for nearly three decades. Thomson specializes in developing children's musical foundations through integrated piano instruction that combines playing and singing. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes building strong aural skills and music theory comprehension through hands-on musical experience.
Formal Education
Graduate Student
PROGRAM
Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media
DEGREE
Master of Fine Arts
HONORS
Conrad Pope Scholarship
UNIVERSITY
Film Scoring Academy of Europe
Undergraduate Student
MAJOR
Personalized Study Plan in
Music Composition for Multimedia
MINOR
Music Media and Enterprise
DEGREE
Bachelor of Arts
GRADUATED WITH
Honors in the Arts
Magna Cum Laude
UNIVERSITY
The Ohio State University
Workshop Auditor
ABOUT
NYU Screen Scoring Workshop is a 1 week program for professionals and students to write music for a cue, receive feedback from faculty, and record their cue with a live orchestra.
UNIVERSITY
New York University
Additional Work Experience
Film & TV Productions
TELEVISION
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“Karantina” (2023) – music editor
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“The Irish Civil War” (2022) – additional orchestration, copyist director, composer’s assistant
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“100 Years of Ulysses” (2022) – score supervisor, composer’s assistant
DOCUMENTARIES
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“Bad at Painting Figures” (2022) – film score performer (accordion) “Matthew Whitaker: About Tomorrow” (2022) – recording session manager
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“PPG: Through the Fire” (2015) – on-set sound, interviewer
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“OSU Symphonic Band Diaries” (2014) – videographer (camera 1)
ADVERTISEMENTS & PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS
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“R&A Celebration of Light” (2021) – recording session manager
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“World in Harmony” (2021) – recording session manager
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"Sustainable Village Water Systems Program" (2016) – composer, sound editor
SHORT FILMS
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"He Seems Like..." (2018) – sound editor
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"A Tough Spot" (2018) – sound editor
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"Happy Anniversary, Dr. and Mr. Lederer” (2018) – on-set sound, props assistant, sound editor
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"Coat" (2017) – composer, sound editor
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"Jamie and Allen, A Balloon Man" (2016) – sound editor
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"One Method” (2015) – sound editor
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"Krysten Loves David" (2015) – composer, sound editor
FEATURE FILMS
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"Rift 6 - Part 1" (2017) – foley artist, sound designer, sound editor, music editor
SHORT ANIMATIONS
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"The Boy Who Draws Cats" (2016) – composer, sound editor, sound designer
Management / Organization
SOFIA REMOTE RECORDING PRODUCTIONS (2021-now)
Sofia, Bulgaria
founder, manager, educator
VRATSA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (2023-2024)
Vratsa, Bulgaria
international administrator
OTICONS (2022-2023)
Athens, Greece
music production supervisor
EUROPEAN RECORDING ORCHESTRA (2021-2022)
Sofia, Bulgaria
production manager
SCREEN COMPOSER ACADEMY (2022)
Athens, Greece
production manager, score supervisor, educator
FILM SCORING ACADEMY OF EUROPE (2021-2022)
Sofia, Bulgaria
production manager, educator
MAGDA GIANNIKOU MUSIC (2015-2018)
New York, USA
composer’s assistant, social media manager
BANDA MAGDA (2015-2018)
New York, USA
band assistant, social media manager
YELADUDES THEATER (2016-2017)
New York, USA
researcher, database manager, secretary
CASITA DE ARTE NYC (2017)
New York, USA
researcher, database manager, secretary
FLUX STUDIOS NYC (2016)
New York, USA
recording studio assistant
COLUMBUS JAZZ RECORDINGS (2014-2016)
Ohio, USA
engineer, manager
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGIATE WINDS (2012-2014)
Ohio, USA
band manager
Other
ALBUMS
CINEMAGRAPHS (2023) by Gabriel Koempel
Washington D.C., USA
engineer, editor, performer
TOGETHER (2021) – by evaturetime & Eiji John Mitsuta
Sofia, Bulgaria
recording session manager
DESERT ROGUE (2018) by The Crashlanders
Ohio, USA
string arranger
TIGRE (2017) by Banda Magda
New York, USA
research and style guide director
LIVE PRODUCTIONS
SHIGERU UMBEYASHI IN CONCERT (2022)
Athens, Greece
arranger, copyist
“THE IRISH CIVIL WAR” LIVE SCREENING WITH THE RTE ORCHESTRA (2022)
Cork, Ireland
orchestration, copyist director, composer’s assistant
THE ROTHSTEIN SYMPHONY (2022)
California, USA
proofreader
THE KLEZMER CLAN (2015)
Ohio, USA
arranger, performer
DAVID SWANK JAZZ ENSEMBLE (2015)
Ohio, USA
string arranger