Joseph Kosma was a Hungarian-born French composer whose career spanned film scores, art songs, and theater music. Born in Budapest in 1905, Kosma studied composition before settling in Paris, where a chance meeting with poet Jacques Prevert transformed his career, leading to collaborations with directors Jean Renoir and Marcel Carne. His most famous composition, "Autumn Leaves" (originally "Les Feuilles mortes" with Prevert's lyrics), became one of the most recorded songs in history and a cornerstone of the jazz standard repertoire. Kosma composed scores for over 200 films, including classics of French cinema. His work integrated elements of Hungarian folk music, French chanson, and European art music traditions. He died in 1969.
