Shai Cohen

Shai Cohen (Hebrew: שי כהן‎; b.1968, in Haifa) is an Israeli music educator and composer.

Shai Cohen

Biography

Cohen is working as a teacher, composer, and jazz performer. He studied composition with Professor Gideon Lewensohn and Professor Betty Olivero and composes symphonic music, chamber music, electronic music, and music for solo instruments. Cohen is the Chairman of the Israel Composers' League and an active member in ACUM^[1] (Authors, Composers & Publishers Association). Since 2003, he is a lecturer at the Department of Music in Bar-Ilan University. Cohen is also lecturer in Levinsky College of Education and in the Open University Music Departments.

Cohen's music has been performed by musicians and ensembles like SNU Symphony Orchestra (Korea), the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble^[2] (Moscow), members of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Scotland), Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (Japan), T'ang Quartet (Singapore), St Andrews New Music Ensemble (Scotland), Ensemble Kaprizma (Israel), Israel Contemporary Players,^[3] the Arab & Jewish ensembles of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, The Tel-Aviv Soloists Ensemble, The Israel Kibbutz Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta orchestra of Beer-Sheva and many others.

Cohen's music has been performed at events including "ACL Asian Contemporary Music Festival" (2003/Japan, 2009/Korea, 2012/Israel, 2013/Singapore), ISCM, contemporary music festival "Moscow Autumn" (2006), "Aberdeen Music Prize" (2011), 34th Annual "Bowling Green New Music Festival" (2013), "Israeli Music Festival" (2004, 2012).

Selected Works

Cohen composes for orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo instrument and voice. Selected works include:

• Echoes of Eternity, Fantasia for violin solo and orchestra (2006) performed by the SNU Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Seoung-Lim Kim, Violin Solo Seyoung Lee, Asian-Pacific Contemporary Music Festival in Korea 2009.
• Circles Of Time for Trumpet string quartet (2011) performed by members of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in the University of Aberdeen Music Prize Gala Concert.
• DSCH, for chamber orchestra (2006) commissioned by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble premiered in Moscow, Conductor Alexei Vinogradov.^[4]
• Capture, for chamber orchestra tape and live electronics (2009), performed by Israel Contemporary Players, Conductor Zsolt Nagy.^[5]
• Hkafil, for string trio and flute (2004) commissioned by the Israel Composers League (ICL), premiere in Jerusalem music center by Ensemble Kaprizma.
• Association - quartet for tenor sax, accordion, vibraphone and contrabass (2002) commissioned by the Asian Music Festival Premiered in Tokyo Japan.
• Collective Memory, septet for perc, ney flute, Arabic violin, ud, flute, violin, bass (2004) commissioned by the Israel philharmonic Arab Jewish ensembles, Tempus Fugit international biennial contemporary music premiere in Jerusalem and performed many times around the world.
• From earth to wind, for solo accordion and narrator (2004) inspired by Netta Alony performed by Claudia Buder (accordion) and Elija Schwarz (speaker) in Leipzig, Germany (2009)
• Games, Songs and Dances, for Violin, Clarinet, Cello and Piano (2005) Ensemble Meitar, The London Schubert Players,^[6] T'ang Quartet.
• A Butterfly Flaps its Wings.... for string trio Arabic ud and live electronics (2004).
• The double, music for flute and processed flute (2003) premiered in Bar-Ilan University.
• Real-Time Music Composition With colors and movements tracking(2008) a project in memorial of Yossi Banai, premiered in Bar-ilan University, Duration: Free”^[7]

Honors and awards

• 2010 ACUM Prize for his work "Echoes of Eternity" - Fantasia for violin solo and orchestra.^[8]
• Prime Minister’s Prize (Israel, 2011)
• Chairman of the Israeli Composers' League (2012)

References

1. "אקו"ם". acum.org.il.
2. "mcme". theremin.ru.
3. http://www.ensemble21.org.il/eng-index.asp/
4. "Article in the book Д. Д. Шостаковичу посвящается К 100-летию со дня рождения композитора p.458, 464.".
5. "2014 Schedules". zsoltnagy.de.
6. "MusicLink - Music Resources in the British Isles". pcuk.net.
7. "Sound Installation".
8. "Shai Cohen". Retrieved 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Article on sound sculpture (in Hebrew)
• Compositions & Scores