We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anna Kornis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anna below.

Hi Anna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a “pop star.” As a little kid, I would give concerts to my parents in our living room and spend hours writing songs in my room. My first love was theatre—especially musical theatre—and for a long time, my dream was to be on Broadway.

When I was 12, I was cast in a Hungarian TV show called Singing School, which opened a lot of doors for me. From there, I was cast in several professional musicals at the National Theatre of Hungary and in other large-scale productions. But deep down, the ultimate dream was always to study at Berklee.

Everything really clicked when I was 16. I went to Sziget Festival and saw Shawn Mendes perform live for the first time. I wasn’t even a huge fan before, but something about that concert changed everything for me. The way he connected with the audience, how thousands of people from all over the world were singing his lyrics back to him—it was such a powerful moment. That’s when I knew: this is what I want to do with my life. I want to write songs, perform them for people, and create moments that help others feel seen and understood.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, where my journey into music began with a mix of passion, curiosity, and a little bit of luck. When I was 12, I went to see the X-Faktor live show with my dad, and before the show started, a child was invited on stage to sing so the production team could train the audience for applause. I desperately wanted to perform on a real stage, so I raised my hand, got on stage, and sang “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars. As it turned out, there was a television executive sitting behind us who approached us after the show and encouraged me to audition for their upcoming series, The Singing School. I auditioned and thankfully got in. From there, everything happened very quickly. I was cast in multiple productions at the National Theatre of Hungary, including The Sound of Music, and got to perform in large-scale musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and Shrek the Musical on national tours. I was also cast in another TV show called Your Face Sounds Familiar: Kids, where I had to impersonate a different iconic singer every week.

In my junior year of high school, I made the decision to attend a boarding school in the United States, and after finishing high school, I was thrilled to find out I had been accepted to Berklee College of Music. I’m currently majoring in Songwriting and Music Business and serve as the President of the She Is The Music chapter at Berklee. I released my first single during my freshman year in 2022, and I’ve continued to release music ever since. My song “Again” was featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Pop playlists, and in November 2024, I released my debut album Self Absorbed. In 2025, my single “Talking to Myself” was featured on Fresh Finds Pop and played over 360 times on national radio. My song “Go Through Hell” was featured on New Music Friday in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hungary. After I graduate this May, I plan to move to London, England to pursue a full-time career as an artist while continuing to support and advocate for women in the music industry. As President of She Is The Music at Berklee, I’ve had the opportunity to curate events, organize panels with industry professionals, and create a safe, empowering space for women and gender-expansive creators. That mission is something I plan to carry with me into every step of my career.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding parts of being an artist is collaborating with others and bringing a vision to life. I love being able to express my emotions through music and seeing how those feelings resonate with others—especially when it helps someone feel seen or understood. There’s something magical about bouncing ideas off each other and watching them evolve into something truly special.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One of my biggest dreams is to headline Sziget Festival in my hometown, Budapest. That environment—the energy, the experiences, the concerts—was what first inspired me to become an artist and songwriter. Nothing would make me happier than performing in front of thousands of people singing my lyrics back to me. I want to be able to unite people from all around the world through music, just like the artists I once looked up to did for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna_kornis/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJYjP28xwdcSEvQMBaVIBdA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7agKvt4n9o9aKwgs9Zce3n?si=sn_-HDsoSuGdjzACI2MTGQ

Image Credits

Toby Dorfman, Elia Ma