Berklee Gigs Ready Alumna for Miss Universe Hungary Spectacular

Only a few years out of Berklee, Kata Kozma ’11 got a big break after an evening involving a Budapest jazz club, a big-time Hollywood producer, and an irrefusable offer.

"The story is quite magical," Kozma says. She was working in New York City, making a name for herself as a performer and songwriter, when she went back to her native Budapest for a visit. One night, she attended a party at a jazz club for the release of an album she had worked on. The artist invited Kozma on stage for a couple of songs, with Kozma on vocals and piano. The full house gave her a standing ovation. Unbeknownst to her, Hollywood producer Andrew Vajna (Terminator 3, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Evita) was one of the people standing.

"And ... as it is in fairy tales, the next morning I get a phone call from Andy himself asking me if I'd like to be the music director for Miss Universe (Hungary) 2014, which he is producing and directing," she says. The offer was impressive: Kozma would be in charge of directing, arranging, composing, and conducting all the music for the production. She would also organize an all-female band and cast the lead vocalists.

Her only comparable experience was from her Berklee days, when she worked on the Singer-Songwriter Showcase and arranged music for a Berklee commencement concert at the Agganis Arena.

"Quite honestly, the only reason I had the courage to say ‘yes’ to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is because of the experience I gained at Berklee doing these showcases," Kozma, a pianist who majored in performance and professional music at Berklee, says. "Berklee taught me how to prepare parts, transpose for different instruments, use music notations programs (as well as) basic arranging techniques, conducting, and more." 

Kozma recruited Berklee talent to help her. Hien (Nguyen Thahn Hien), a Hungarian student with Vietnamese roots who will start Berklee next fall, was cast as the lead vocalist for the song "Cabaret." Two other incoming Hungarian students, Alexandra Ivan and Flora Bujdoso, worked as music consultant and banjo player, respectively. Bujdoso will start classes at Berklee in the fall of 2015 and Ivan will start in January of 2015. Three alumni, working remotely, also collaborated with Kozma: Balint Varga '12 (music consultant), Aaron Gage '12 (music copyist and assistant to Kozma), and Eden Rayz '13 (music copyist).

"Needless to say, this has been the most fun, rewarding, and cathartic gig I've ever done," Kozma says of the show, which aired live on September 15. "Definitely a dream come true."