Kevin Kliesch is an Emmy® Award-winning composer whose work has shaped the sound of some of animation's most beloved projects. He received his first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in 2015 for his work on Disney's Sofia the First (2012). A native of New Jersey and graduate of Boston's Berklee College of Music, Kevin has built a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades as both a composer and orchestrator. His credits include over 100 feature films, among them Frozen (2013), The Hangover (2009), Tangled (2010), and Shrek Forever After (2010). Transitioning from orchestration to composing, Kevin quickly found success in the world of animation. His score for ThunderCats (2011) earned him an Annie Award nomination as well as two Jerry Goldsmith Award nominations from BSO Spirit-Best Television Score and Breakout Composer of the Year. Following his extensive collaborations with Disney as an orchestrator, Kevin was invited to compose for Sofia the First. His work on the series garnered an additional Annie Award nomination, four Daytime Emmy nominations, and a Primetime Emmy nomination. Continuing his partnership with Disney, Kevin went on to compose the music for Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (also known as Tangled: The Series), earning three more Daytime Emmy nominations and another Annie Award nomination in 2021.
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Biography from IMDb.
- October 15, 1970 (56)
- Teaneck, New Jersey, USA
- Composer
- 12 on MovieCove
What are Kevin Kliesch's films like?
Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 10
Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 2
A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3
A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 2 · Intense 4
Steady 8 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 2
Casual 7 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 8 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy8
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Kevin Kliesch's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Kevin Kliesch's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
12 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.
Sunny Day(2017)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Justice League: War(2014)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Superman: Unbound(2013)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Tangled Ever After(2012)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
ThunderCats(2011)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Back to You and Me(2005)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Dracula III: Legacy(2005)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Dracula II: Ascension(2003)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Gentle Ben(2002)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Career shape
Across their 12 MovieCove titles from 2002 to 2017.
Awards
Nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2015, Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score).
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Kevin Kliesch's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 12 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the sound and music 54/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Kevin Kliesch's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Kevin Kliesch work with?
People who share at least 2 of Kevin Kliesch's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sam Register shares the most, 3.
Directors
- David S. Cass Sr.Shared titles: Back to You and Me (2005), Gentle Ben (2002)See all 2 shared titles with David S. Cass Sr.
- Patrick LussierShared titles: Dracula III: Legacy (2005), Dracula II: Ascension (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Patrick Lussier
Writers
- Geoff JohnsShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Geoff Johns
- Jerry SiegelShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Jerry Siegel
- Joe ShusterShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Shuster
- Joel SoissonShared titles: Dracula III: Legacy (2005), Dracula II: Ascension (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Joel Soisson
Actors
- Diedrich BaderShared titles: Tangled: Before Ever After (2017), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Diedrich Bader
- Mandy MooreShared titles: Tangled: Before Ever After (2017), Tangled Ever After (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Mandy Moore
- Zachary LeviShared titles: Tangled: Before Ever After (2017), Tangled Ever After (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Zachary Levi
- Zach CallisonShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Sofia the First: Ready to Be a Princess (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Zach Callison
Cinematographers and editors
- Christopher D. LozinskiShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Christopher D. Lozinski
- Douglas MilsomeShared titles: Dracula III: Legacy (2005), Dracula II: Ascension (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Douglas Milsome
- James W. WrennShared titles: Back to You and Me (2005), Gentle Ben (2002)See all 2 shared titles with James W. Wrenn
- Lisa MozdenShared titles: Dracula III: Legacy (2005), Dracula II: Ascension (2003)See all 2 shared titles with Lisa Mozden
Producers
- Sam RegisterShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013), ThunderCats (2011)See all 3 shared titles with Sam Register
- Toshiyuki HirumaShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013), ThunderCats (2011)See all 3 shared titles with Toshiyuki Hiruma
- Alan BurnettShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Burnett
- James TuckerShared titles: Justice League: War (2014), Superman: Unbound (2013)See all 2 shared titles with James Tucker
