Eva Kozma joined the St. Louis Symphony as Assistant Principal Second Violin in 2004 at the invitation of Itzhak Perlman, the orchestra’s Artistic Advisor at the time.
She began violin lessons at the age of seven in her hometown of Targu Mures, Romania. Eva participated in many competitions, including the Romanian National Competition, where she won prizes in 1993 and 1994. She made her solo debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Targu Mures 1989 and since then has performed numerous concertos with that ensemble. In 1997, Eva won a full scholarship to the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina where she was chosen concertmaster of the orchestra and also won the concerto competition. There Eva met noted violinist and teacher, Ani Kavafian, who invited Eva to study with her at McGill University in Montreal following the completion of her undergraduate studies.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree at the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania Eva performed with the Targu Mures Philharmonic. The next year, she was able to obtain a visa to Montreal where she studied with Kavafian and Denise Lupien. In 2003 she won the university concerto competition, and performed Beethoven’s violin concerto during the final year of her studies. She was also invited to perform with the Societe Philharmonique de Montreal under conductor Takacs Miklos. Eva was recognized with the school’s award for “Outstanding Achievement in Violin Performance” and received her Licentiate of Music diploma in 2003. While in Montreal, Eva performed the Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin and Piano with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and played in the “Debut Young Artist’s Series,” which was broadcast on CBC Radio. In addition, she won a full scholarship with the quartet she founded, the Lloyd Carr Harris Quartet, to attend the Orford Music Festival and again had the opportunity to perform on CBC Radio.
In 2006 Eva was asked to perform as a soloist with the St. Louis Symphony in a program dedicated to the music of Spain. The performance was repeated at the orchestra’s 2006 New Year’s Eve concert.
Eva is an ardent chamber music performer and shares her talents with the St. Louis community performing frequently in St. Louis area schools, churches, hospitals and retirement homes. She lives with her husband Laszlo, who is a sculptor, and their three children.