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PETER KOZMA is a Hungarian conductor and stage director whose work has been hailed “free-spirited and inventive, showing an excellent grasp of the drama and the space." He has studied flute, voice, conducting, and directing, which allows him to bring a wide range of experience and broad musical perspective into his innovative and energetic productions.

 

Mr. Kozma’s directorial credits include Serse, Le nozze di Figaro, Eugene Onegin, Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, Rinaldo, Agrippina, and L’incoronazione di Poppea for Opera NEO, The Merry Widow for the Szeged Open-Air Festival in Hungary, Don Giovanni for Sarasota Opera, Le nozze di Figaro and Eugene Onegin for Opera San José, Rossini's Il Signor Bruschino and the American premier of Mercadante’s Orazi e Curiazi for Minnesota Opera, as well as L’Orfeo for the Budapest Chamber Opera. He also directed the American premier of Handel’s Faramondo and productions of L’elisir d’amore, La Calisto, The Magic Flute, and Le nozze di Figaro for The Ohio State University Opera Theater where he served as director of the OSU Opera Theater program. Mr. Kozma is the artistic director of Opera NEO in San Diego, California.

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Kozma’s conducting credits at Opera Neo include Le nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo, Die Zauberflöte, Eugene Onegin, La Cenerentola, The Merry Widow, Armide, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Carmen, and Der Schauspieldirektor. He conducted the American premiere of Handel’s Faramondo at Ohio State University. He has also led performances with the Johann Strauss Symphony Orchestra Budapest, the Sándor Frigyes Chamber Orchestra, the Ars Classica Chamber Orchestra, and the Monor Youth Symphony.

 

Mr. Kozma has worked with such directors and conductors as Michael Cavanagh, John Adams, David Angus, Doug Varone, Garnett Bruce, Thor Steingraber, András Almási-Tóth, Balazs Kovalik, Daniel Helfgot, and Francesco Maria Colombo. He has also worked with opera companies including Boston Lyric Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Chicago Opera Theater and Des Moines Metro Opera. Mr. Kozma served as artistic director for the Ars Classica Chamber Opera in Hungary, where he produced and directed numerous opera productions as well as several education and outreach performances. He also worked at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest as a resident director, as well as the Hungarian State Television TV2 and the Miskolc Summer Opera Festival.

 

A sought-after clinician, Mr. Kozma has presented master classes at the Boston Conservatory, DePaul University, University of Hawaii, Southwestern University, Bel Cantanti Opera Summer Opera Festival, Opera Columbus Education and Outreach Program, Point Loma Nazarene University, and San Diego State University, among others.

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