Classical Music Discoveries

JAMES COHN was born in 1928, in Newark, New Jersey. He attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City graduating with two degrees in Composition. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in World Jewry. He has written solo, chamber, choral and orchestral works, and his catalog includes 4 string quartets, 5 piano sonatas and 9 symphonies. Some have won awards, including a Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Prize. Jim, who will be celebrating his 90th birthday on February 12th, 2018, is still composing. His major commission in 2016 was for a Concerto for English Horn and String Orchestra for Pedro Diaz, Principal English Horn of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York. This work will be premiered in summer of 2018 in Costa Rica and will be repeated at the International Double Reed Society Convention in Granada Spain. Jim has received 9 new commissions in 2017. Dance Suite for Violin & Guitar by Romulo Benavides & David Galvez, A Clarinet Quartet for the Brownstone Quartet in New York by Don Payne, a Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Amadi Azikiwe, the KAM Trio,(Clarinet, Piano and Cello), honoring Korean, American and Moldavian musicians – Sonna Kim, Joseph Rosen and Taisya Pushkar, a new work for the Claribel Clarinet Choir from Oostende, Belgium, a new work (3 Portraits) for the American Soprano, April Armstrong, for Voice and String Quartet, String Quartet #4 for the Johnson Quartet in Philadelphia, a new work for the Cante Libra Chamber Ensemble for Flute, Harp, Violin, Viola and Cello and a new work for Clarinet and Piano – Klezmer themes - for Caroline Hartig – President of the International Clarinet Association for a recording project in 2018. Jim’s 2nd Violin Concerto for Amadi Azikiwe (Afro-American Echoes) will be premiered in summer of 2018 in South Africa and he is currently working on the new Suite (Serenade) for the Cante Libra Music Ensemble. Jim’s music is available on the XLNT Music label, The Naxos American Classics label and the MSR Music Classics label.