Kati Agócs was born in 1975 in Windsor, Canada, of Hungarian and American background. The American Academy of Arts and Letters praises the “soulful directness” of her music, its “naturalness of dissonance,” and its “melody, drama, and clear design.” The Boston Globe has described it as “music of fluidity and austere beauty,” while The New York Times has characterized it as “nimble,” “striking,” and “filled with attractive ideas.” In 2008, she was appointed to the composition faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She has received numerous commissions, awards and honors worldwide.

Kati Agócs earned the Doctor of Musical Arts and Masters degrees from The Juilliard School, where her principal teacher was Milton Babbitt. She is also an alumna of the Aspen Music School, Tanglewood Music Festival, Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific (United World Colleges), and Sarah Lawrence College.