Student Spotlight: Alan Catz

Student Spotlight: Alan Catz The Argentine film and game composer talks about working on League of Legends, receiving Berklee's BMI Award, and the lifelong bond with his twin brother.

April 28, 2026

By

Editorial Staff

Image by Ken Yin

What's it like to study at Berklee? Our Student Spotlight series asks current students all about their Berklee experience-what they're learning in class, what kinds of projects they're involved in onstage or behind the scenes, how they recharge, and of course, what they're listening to. In this installment, get to know composer Alan Catz, an ninth-semester student dual majoring in film and media scoring and game and interactive media scoring (GAIMS) from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You can follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and his website.

Tell us about your path to Berklee. How did your journey in music begin, and what made you decide to come here? I started music late, when I was 19, but I had always had a deep love and sensitivity for it. Before Berklee, I studied computer science and psychology, and until I was 19, I didn't have a single friend who was connected to music or even played an instrument. I was completely outside of that world, and I didn't really have a way to learn more about it. I didn't even know what a conservatory was!

Everything changed when I met Olga Sakovich, a Russian pianist and violinist who had just moved to Buenos Aires, completely by chance. After a few months, she encouraged me to apply to Manuel de Falla, one of the best music conservatories in Argentina. At the time, that made absolutely no sense to me. I'll always remember how surreal my first day there felt, when I walked in and heard all the musicians practicing their instruments in different isolated rooms-instruments that, of course, I didn't even know existed, yet I knew I had finally found a purpose in my life.

Later, I was recommended to take lessons with some of Argentina's top concert pianists, Fernanda Morello and Manuel Fraga, as well as film composer Eric Kuschevatzky. Eric is a Berklee alumnus who had worked with Randy Newman, and he was one of the first reasons I became interested in Berklee. He was also the first person who showed me how a film score actually worked, and I was completely hooked. From that moment on, I knew there was no going back. I didn't grow up inside the music world; I had to find the door first. Berklee brought out the best in me and pushed me further than I ever thought possible.

Catz in FILM-440

Image by Ken Yin

Whats been your favorite class so far, and what has it taught you? My favorite time at Berklee was in Advanced Orchestration for Film, taught by Tim Huling. It's one of the most competitive classes in the Screen Scoring Department, with only six students accepted each year. I'm incredibly grateful I had the chance to be part of it.

This class was all about composing, orchestrating, preparing, recording, and conducting one- to three-minute cues with a full orchestra every two weeks. We worked like professional composers for an entire semester; each cue had to be written, notated, rehearsed, recorded, and conducted within a very short timeframe.

I learned so much about orchestration, recording techniques, score preparation, and how to communicate clearly in a session. That class gave me a lot of confidence, and it made me feel much more prepared to conduct my own sessions and take on bigger projects when I move to Los Angeles.

Whats a project youve worked on since coming to Berklee that youve been especially excited about? One of the happiest days of my life was when the trailer for League of Legends: Wild Rift-Crystal Rose was released in 2023. I had the chance to work on the music alongside my longtime friend Ignacio Ram rez, and it was an incredibly special experience. As a League player myself, seeing my arrangements, orchestration, and piano featured in a Riot Games trailer felt surreal, and it's something my inner child still can't quite believe.

You received Berklee's BMI Award in 2024. Can you tell us more about what that recognition meant to you? Berklee has helped me turn what used to feel like a distant dream into something much more real. In 2024, I received Berklee's BMI Award, an honor given to the most distinguished student in the Screen Scoring Department. That recognition became a major turning point for me, both personally and professionally. It changed my life completely.

Through the award, I had the chance to meet and be mentored by Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning composer Mychael Danna, as well as Tracy McKnight, Vice President of Creative for Film, TV, and Visual Media at BMI. Their guidance has meant a lot to me, both creatively and professionally, and helped me understand how to take the next steps in my career.

I was also extremely fortunate to be invited to attend the BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards in 2025. Being in that room, surrounded by so many composers whose work I deeply admire, felt completely surreal. I even got to meet Thomas Newman, one of my favorite film composers of all time. Moments like that made me realize how much Berklee has opened doors for me, and made the industry feel much closer than it did when I first arrived.

What opportunities at Berklee helped you gain confidence as a composer in the game music industry?

Catz at Power Station at Berklee NYC

Image by Ryan Nava

As someone who grew up loving games, some of the most meaningful opportunities I had at Berklee were the ones that made the game music industry feel closer and more real. Winning a Berklee competition with Ubisoft and presenting my music to Ubisoft Music Supervisor Simon Landry was one of those moments. I also participated in the Riot Games challenge at Berklee, where I wrote music based on a brief connected to R

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/student-spotlight-alan-catz...
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