photo: Matt Dine

Paul Cohen is a sought-after saxophonist for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Richmond Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and the Philharmonia Virtuosi. His many solo orchestra performances include works by Debussy, Creston, Ibert, Glazunov, Martin, Loeffler, Husa, Dahl, Still, Villa-Lobos, Tomasi, and Cowell. He has also performed with a broad range of orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera (NYC), American Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Oregon Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Group for Contemporary Music, Greenwich Symphony, and New York Solisti.

Cohen has recorded three albums with the Cleveland Symphonic Winds under the direction of Frederick Fennell and a CD of the music of Villa-Lobos with the Quintet of the Americas, as well as recordings with the Philharmonia Virtuosi, New York Solisti, Paul Winter Consort, North-South Consonance, and the New Sousa Band. In 2018 his CD, Common Ground, was released with chamber music including strings, winds, and piano. In 2019 New York Rising, featuring recent saxophone quartets written for Cohen was released, with the first recording of Grainger’s Lisbon. In 2021, HEARD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME was issued, featuring the first recording of the original version of the concerto for saxophone by Ingolf Dahl, as well as first performances of lost works by Charles Loeffler. Earlier recordings include Vintage Saxophones Revisited, with the premiere recording of Cowell’s Hymn and Fuguing Tune #18. 

Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio, and Dahl as well as chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell, Siegmeister, and Loeffler. As an arranger, he has written The Renaissance Book (Galaxy Music), Four Piano Blues and Our Town by Copland for saxophone quartet (Boosey and Hawkes). His company, To the Fore Publishers, (www.totheforepublishers.com) publishes his arrangements as well as original, historical, and contemporary saxophone works.

Cohen holds M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Galan Kral, Joe Allard, and Sigurd Rascher. He has published more than one hundred articles on the history and literature of the saxophone worldwide. His seminal column, Vintage Saxophones Revisited, was featured in the Saxophone Journal from 1985 to 2002. Recent releases include American Landscapes, (American music), Common Ground (chamber music), HEARD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME (featuring the first recording of the original Dahl Concerto), SOPRANO SUMMIT (soprano saxophone) and most recently, CENTER CHAMBER, featuring the Connosax.

Cohen is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, NYU, and the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

News

August 13, 2024

The Inside Story: Paul Cohen and OF LIGHT AND SOLACE

Paul Cohen
April 8, 2022

The Inside Story: Paul Cohen and SOPRANO SUMMIT

Paul Cohen
March 28, 2022

The Inside Story: Paul Cohen and HEARD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

Albums

New York Rising

Release Date: November 15, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8111
20th Century
21st Century
Chamber
Saxophone
Paul Cohen and The New Hudson Saxophone Quartet return to Ravello Records with NEW YORK RISING. Showcasing their well-blended sound and ability to turn on a stylistic dime, the ensemble navigates works by several American composers, from the title track’s evocations of a young man’s excitement, curiosity, and determination in the Big Apple to arrangements of Aaron Copland’s Suite from Our Town and Simple Gifts, and more. The ensemble is joined by guest artists Christopher Brellochs and Ulrich Krieger, both alto saxophonists, throughout the program.

Common Ground

Release Date: October 25, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8110
20th Century
21st Century
Chamber
Piano
Saxophone
On saxophonist Paul Cohen’s COMMON GROUND, one can embrace the unbroken musical traditions that have defined our musical selves, and in doing so, find a contemporary relevance that is both compelling and insightful. These are magnificent compositions, yet they are rarely heard. The range of expression and emotional direction is astonishing and almost visceral. Each of the works follows a unique path; from the kaleidoscopic Ivesian treatment of American folk tunes in Hymn Variations, to the vibrant, ecstatic joy of Quartet to an Outdoor Festival, to the lush, deceptive and nostalgic Trillium Suite, and finally the introspective interlude of Terpsichord framed by outer movements of pungent rhythmic vitality. COMMON GROUND celebrates not only the expressive inclusiveness of these diverse works, but also the common ground achieved with such varied sets of instruments. All compositions on COMMON GROUND are scored for winds, strings, and piano, and all include the saxophone. The soprano saxophone is scored in Quartet to an Outdoor Festival, Hymn Variations, and Trillium Suite, while the alto saxophone is scored in Terpsichord. In these settings, the saxophone uniquely enhances the color, texture, and dynamic resources of the ensemble, while still retaining the necessary subtlety of ensemble equality. It is common ground for composers, performers, and listeners alike.

American Landscapes

Release Date: September 20, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8109
20th Century
21st Century
Romantic
Chamber
Orchestra
Piano
Saxophone
Saxophonist Paul Cohen’s AMERICAN LANDSCAPES presents three centuries of original American Music for Saxophone, from Caryl Florio's concerto (1879) for saxophone and orchestra, to 20th and 21st century works (saxophone and piano) by Alec Wilder, Steve Cohen, Percy Grainger, Richard Lane, and Elie Siegmeister. Cohen is joined by pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti and the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra in this Ravello Records release.

Of Light and Solace

Release Date: August 2, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8107
20th Century
Chamber
Organ
Saxophone
Paul Cohen’s OF LIGHT AND SOLACE highlights music by several 20th century composers whose work is deeply engaged with both the tradition and innovation of classical music. Evocative, contemplative, and teeming with emotional depth, the works presented in this Ravello Records release explore and expand upon the liturgical canon, offering instrumental expressions in Gregorian Chant, fresh takes on the iconic Amazing Grace, and more. Cohen pairs a unique selection of saxophones with organ to bring this music to life including his Conn-O-Sax, a bold, innovative saxophone made by the Conn Company for a very limited time in 1928.

The American Muse

Release Date: July 26, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8105
20th Century
Romantic
Chamber
Saxophone
While the saxophone quartet has a relatively short history compared to traditional classical its wind and string counterparts, its repertoire has been rapidly expanding. Combining the suppleness of a string quartet, power of a brass quintet, and extroverted color of a wind quintet, the saxophone has truly blossomed as a unique and accepted voice by composers and listeners. With composers such as Glass, Cage, Berio, Flagello, Xenakis, Wuorinen, Keuris, and Bolcombe writing substantial pieces, its place in today’s classical music scene is secure and growing. On THE AMERICAN MUSE, the New Hudson Saxophone Quartet performs American music that spans beyond a century, from 1879 to 1999. Whether it is the classicist Florio, jazz-inspired Wilder, nostalgic Copland, or post-minimal Torke, each work is of a singularly different nature yet all identifiable as American in style and spirit.

Dances and Declamations

Release Date: April 19, 2024
Catalog Number: RR8102
21st Century
Chamber
Saxophone
Contemporary music is often difficult to access, both for audiences and performing musicians, and doubly so if it involves unorthodox musical setups. Paul Cohen, leader of the TTF Saxophone Quartet, is here to challenge this conundrum. DANCES AND DECLAMATIONS compiles a treasure trove of saxophone quartets that are a pleasure to play — and to experience. This eclectic collection includes modern, minimalist constructions, Brucknerian soundscapes, waltzes, fugues, and not least Cohen's own arrangements of Renaissance dances. Each of the pieces on DANCES AND DECLAMATIONS are imbued with genuine cheer, liveliness, and appeal. It's music that speaks to the mind, yes, but even more importantly, puts a spring in your step.

Center Chamber

Release Date: December 9, 2022
Catalog Number: RR8082
21st Century
Chamber
Flute
Guitar
Saxophone
On CENTER CHAMBER, wind, string, and keyboard instrumentalists come together to perform a collection of original and intimate compositions that include the saxophone — particularly Paul Cohen’s conn-o-sax, a rare and long forgotten instrument given new life in contemporary works. The conn-o-sax brings a dark, contemplative quality and infuses a unique tonal and musical spirit to these often lively, brooding, and captivating works. The engaging and brilliant intimacy of the playing eloquently reveals the unique emotional and musical bonds that tie together these exceptional artists. Listeners will undoubtedly agree: CENTER CHAMBER offers a listening experience as special and engaging as the instrument it features.

Soprano Summit

Release Date: January 28, 2022
Catalog Number: RR8062
20th Century
21st Century
Chamber
Solo Instrumental
Flute
Piano
Saxophone
Ravello Records presents SOPRANO SUMMIT from revered saxophonist Paul Cohen. Alongside his work as a performer, Cohen is known for his passionate scholarship, rediscovering long-forgotten saxophone works as well as arranging related music for the instrument. In this, his latest contribution, Cohen presents an album of music for the soprano saxophone in chamber and solo settings.

Heard Again for the First Time

Release Date: September 10, 2021
Catalog Number: RR8057
20th Century
Chamber
Flute
Harpsichord
Saxophone
From compelling solo interpretations to dramatic instrumental flourishes, saxophonist Paul Cohen revives original works for saxophone that were lost or unknown for decades. On HEARD AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME, Cohen is joined by the Eastern Wind Symphony under Todd Nichols and an impressive roster of soloists who breathe fresh life into this centuries-spanning collection.