ABOUT
BIOGRAPHY
- Zachary Cohen, a native of the Bronx, won the position of principal bass of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in his senior year of Juilliard at the age of 22. Cohen received his Bachelor of Music from Juilliard where he studied with legendary bassist Homer Mensch. During his summers Cohen has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, and The Dresden Musikfestspiele. As an active chamber musician Cohen has collaborated with a wide range of artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Richard Goode, Mitsuko Uchida, Midori, Mark O'Connor and members of the Guarneri and Mendelssohn quartets. He has also worked closely with some of today's most respected composers such as Henri Dutilleux, Osvaldo Golijov, and Mario Davidovsky. While attending Juilliard, Cohen became a member of the chamber group 'The Knights.' He has recently recorded two albums with them on Sony Classical.
THE KNIGHTS
- The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians, dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham, and have performed at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Vienna Musikverein. The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers, who are also founding members of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. The Knights are committed to creating unusual and adventurous partnerships across disciplines; they perform in traditional concert halls as well as parks, plazas, and bars, all in an effort to reach listeners of all backgrounds and invite them into their music-making. Since incorporating in 2007, the orchestra has toured consistently across the United States and Europe.