Rising Stars: Meet Diego Peñafiel of Van Nuys

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diego Peñafiel.

Hi Diego, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t grow up in a family of musicians, but I was drawn to music from an early age. I started with drums, then picked up guitar and piano, eventually teaching myself composition and music production. That passion led me to study music composition at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where I deepened my love for instrumental music and discovered a strong connection to scoring for visual media.

After graduating, I worked behind the scenes as a composer assistant in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Those experiences gave me hands-on training in creating music and sound for a wide range of media, including advertisements, short films, and video games.

While no one in my family pursued music professionally, my father was a passionate fan of film scores and instrumental music. His influence played a huge role in shaping my creative path and helped define my voice as a composer.

Most recently, I signed a deal with ExoPAC Recordings to release my debut album “More Than a Memory”, a neo-classical blend of piano, strings, synths, and ambient textures. The first single, “Fading Reflections”, just dropped, with more on the way in the coming months. It’s a deeply personal project inspired by themes of memory, nostalgia, mental health, and psychology, and I am truly excited for what’s ahead.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road whatsoever, but I think that’s just part of the journey of any creative person. I was born and raised in Queretaro, Mexico, a relatively small city, so moving countries to pursue music in places like San Francisco and later Los Angeles was a huge challenge. I didn’t have a network in the industry or a family background in the arts, so I had to figure things out from scratch and learn to navigate a path in an industry that is rarely clear or predictable.

Like many composers out there, I’ve also dealt with financial instability and the constant pressure to stay creatively inspired while juggling real-life responsibilities. Finding a balance between making art and making a living has been a constant learning experience. It’s quite rough out there, and I know a lot of creatives out there can relate to that.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a music composer with a focus on scoring for visual media. My style blends classical elements like strings, piano, and orchestral textures with synths, ambient layers, and experimental sound design.

Right now, I’m especially proud of my upcoming debut album and the work I’ve done on various independent films and advertising projects. I’m always drawn to emotionally rich stories, and I aim to create music that not only supports the narrative but adds deeper layers of meaning and feeling.

What sets my work apart is the emotional honesty behind it. I love making music that feels raw, vulnerable, and sincere. I also enjoy blending genres and borrowing textures from different worlds to create fresh and distinctive sounds.

Whether I’m composing for an album, a short film, or a commercial, my goal is always the same: to craft music that resonates emotionally and helps tell a meaningful story.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The industry is changing fast, and I think we’ll keep seeing roles blending more and more, along with a bigger presence of AI in creative work. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about that. I don’t think AI is going to replace composers anytime soon, but I do think it will eventually become so embedded in our lives and processes that it’ll be impossible to avoid. Just like it happened with computers.

We’re at a critical point where AI has the potential to genuinely improve lives. It can help with repetitive tasks, speed up workflows, and make certain creative processes more efficient. But there’s also a real risk of it being used primarily to cut costs and replace human creators, not to support them. That could leave millions of artists and creatives out of work in the name of profit.

At the end of the day, the heart of what we do as composers is emotional and human. I hope the future of the industry continues to value that, not just for what it sounds like, but for what it means.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.diegopenafiel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diegopenafiel_composer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegopenafielay/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dp_composer

Image Credits
Photos by Spelledmind (Andres Labiaga) and Luis Tierrafria