Vanessa Donelly

Vanessa Donelly is a German film composer, producer & songwriter known for the movie THE ANGEL IN THE WALL.

 

After learning from great composers like Randall Meyers (SOPHIES WORLD), Alexandre Desplat (GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), James Newton Howard (THE DARK KNIGHT) and Danny Elfman (ALICE IN WONDERLAND), she met cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger (QUEEN OF THE DESERT) and director Silvia Zeitlinger (HOW WE WILL LIVE TOGETHER). Over the course of several films, Vanessa was fortunate enough to not only collaborate with them but also to call them friends today.

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In 2017, Vanessa founded her own recording studio DONELLY RECORDS and in 2020 became a member of “Books, Music and Lyrics” London, where she began writing music at London's West End. Alongside works such as the ARD series AM PASS (Season 3-5) and the ZDF series SOKO LEIPZIG, she is a founding member, composer, and musical director of the satirical cabaret band PASSIVATTRAKTIV, together with lyricist Rune Baruschke and singers Lisa Hintzke and Rafael Albert — a project that earned them the title of ACT OF THE YEAR at the WABE Berlin in December 2023. Her musical 1000 TALES, written by West End writer James Coleman, premiered in November 2025.

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In 2023, she won the Vespertilio Award at Ore d'Orrore in the category “Best Film Music” in Rome (Italy), the “Heimspielpreis” at the Braunschweig International Film Festival and was interviewed by Bita Schafi-Neya for NDR2 and NDR Kultur, Cornelia Bittmann for the cultural magazine “Mosaik” of WDR and Gesa Ufer for Deutschlandfunk Kultur.

 

In March 2024 Vanessa had the great honor of speaking in the German Federal Parliament BUNDESTAG about “Reconciling family and career in the arts and cultural sector”. End of 2024 she was part of the jury of the German Film Music Award.

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2025 Vanessa composed the score for the cinema feature film Hygge by Lena Fakler and Zarah Schrade. Following her work on The Three Musketeers at the Luisenburg Festival, directed by Catharina Fillers, she was in a collaboration with director Mark Monheim on the ARD film Louma, starring Marie Nasemann, Trystan Pütter, and Timur Işık in the leading roles.

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In 2026, Vanessa is attached to several exciting projects: ESTERTOR, directed by Pablo Pagan, a Spanish co-production with German producer Frederik Ehrhardt of Freud & Ecstasy; BALLAD OF THE SKELETON, directed by Murat Ugurlu, a Turkish co-production with Klinkerfilm serving as the German co-producing partner; and DEUTSCHE VITA, directed by Lena Fakler, also produced by Klinkerfilm, founded by Linus Günther. Alongside her film work, Vanessa has also made her mark in the games industry, currently producing the score for GHOST HAUNTING, developed by Three Headed Monkey Studios and directed by Tali Barde — set for release in January 2027.

 

Vanessa is represented by her agent and manager Alexander Hemmpel and lives and works near Hanover, Germany.