Berklee Celebrates Annual BMI Day with Acclaimed Composer Mychael Danna

Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna and BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Film, TV, and Visual Media Tracy McKnight visited Berklee on Monday, October 21, to commemorate the college’s annual BMI Day. During the earlier part of the day, Danna conducted a film scoring studio orchestra class; during the afternoon, McKnight and Danna attended a panel where they discussed the film scoring industry and answered questions from students.  Ahead of the panel, McKnight and Screen Scoring Chair Sean McMahon co-presented this year’s BMI Film Scoring Scholarship to student composer Alan Catz, currently in his seventh semester at Berklee.

The first BMI Film Scoring Scholarship was presented in 1998 by composer Michael Kamen. It is awarded each year to a student selected by the Screen Scoring Department based on the student’s musical ability, financial need, and potential for career success.

“The Screen Scoring Department’s relationship with BMI is one of the most important relationships we have—every year, BMI Day is a special day for our department on campus,” said McMahon. “We are so grateful for all that BMI has done for Berklee’s screen scoring students for over two decades and appreciate Tracy’s presence at Berklee to participate in our panel and present the annual BMI award to Alan Catz, a promising, up-and-coming composer.”

“We take pride in our longstanding relationship with Berklee College of Music and believe in the importance of supporting aspiring composers,” said McKnight. “The BMI Film Scoring Scholarship is a testament to our dedication to fostering talent in the world of visual media. Congratulations to the scholarship recipient, Alan Catz, and thank you to Mychael Danna for being a part of BMI Day at Berklee.”

About Alan Catz

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Alan Catz is a composer and pianist actively working in the film and video game industry.​ He began his formal training at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla, one of Argentina’s most prestigious institutions for music, and continued his studies at Berklee’s global partner Escuela de Música Contemporánea. His musical journey was shaped by the guidance of renowned Argentine musicians, including classical pianist Fernanda Morello and jazz pianist Manuel Fraga. Catz attributes much of his growth to the constructive rivalry and love he shares with his twin brother, Uriel. The two have been colleagues from the start, both aspiring to make their mark as composers in the film and gaming industries. Catz has composed numerous video games and short films, including a collaboration with composer Ignacio Ramirez for the Crystal Rose Skins trailer for League of Legends: Wild Rift.

About Mychael Danna

Mychael Danna is an Academy Award-winning film composer recognized for his evocative blending of non-Western traditions with orchestral and electronic music. His works include the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning score for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, following his collaborations with Lee on The Ice Storm (1997) and Ride with the Devil (1999). Among his other awards are the Emmy Award for Outstanding Composition for the miniseries World Without End (2013), the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing, the World Soundtrack Awards for Film Composer of the Year, and Best Score of the Year, all of which he received in 2013, and the Hollywood Film Award for Composer of the Year in 2016.