Composer Jasha Klebe Releases Soundtrack to "Freedom on Fire"

Released by Chromium Music Group, Klebe’s score embodies the film’s coverage of the conflict in conflict and the spirit of those fighting to survive

The Emmy- and BAFTA-nominated composer Jasha Klebe has released his soundtrack to the 2022 documentary, Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. 

This documentary serves as a companion to Afineevsky’s Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom on Netflix released in 2015, also with an original score by Klebe.

The soundtrack to Freedom on Fire features solo violinist Vera Lytovchenko and cellist Olena Dvorska, who were safely brought out of Ukraine and into the studio to record without the sounds of bombs in the background. The soundtrack’s string orchestra was recorded in Europe and Los Angeles. 

In 2022, Lytovchenko was filmed playing a lullaby in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv to soothe a frightened child as she and eleven others took refuge.

“They brought the voice of the Ukrainian people to the score; a voice that continues to fight, continues to endure, and continues to hope,” Klebe said in a press release. 

Incorporating and paying homage to Ukraine’s national anthem, Klebe’s score captures the film’s urgency and devastation, and the courageous spirit of the people most impacted by the ongoing war.

Throughout the film, Klebe’s three-note musical motif is combined with notes that continuously push forward and upwards to represent courage and the Ukrainian spirit always being at the forefront no matter what atrocities are faced.

To purchase and listen to Klebe’s soundtrack, click here. 

“On 24 February 2022, I, like much of the world, watched in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine,” Klebe said. “My social media feeds were suddenly overflowing with the very people I had met in Kiev, now being forced to flee their country and fight for their lives. I reached out to Evgeny asking if there was any way I could help. He was already on the ground with a team in Ukraine capturing the events. With footage coming in weekly from in-person witnesses, our original Winter On Fire team came together to complete the film, Freedom On Fire, in just 3 months’ time.”

“I was composing to a constantly evolving news cycle; new raw footage would come in and I would sit at my piano and just react,” he said. “The faces staring back at me were what mattered most and so my focus was on capturing an immediate, visceral reaction that evoked the undeniable emotions I believe we all feel watching these harrowing images on the screen.”

Behind-the-scenes footage compiled by Afineevsky can be viewed below. 

Klebe studied classical piano and trombone for over 15 years before moving to Los Angeles and working at Remote Control Productions under Zimmer, with whom he collaborated on the films The Dark Knight Rises, Rush, and Man of Steel. 

He co-scored the acclaimed music of BBC’s Planet Earth II, alongside Hans Zimmer and Jacob Shea. He also composed music for Blue Planet II and the National Geographic’s Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes and Diana: In Her Own Words. 

His other scoring projects included the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, The Black Godfather, FOX’s Malika the Lion Queen, Animal, Naomi Osaka, I Just Killed my Dad, and Queer As Folk.

The music arranger for the 84th Academy Awards, he has also produced the music for television series, including shows on ABC, CBS, MTV, Netflix, Lifetime, A&E, The Discovery Channel, and The History Channel.