Shameless Self-Promotion

You can help support the arts in America and foster peace in the Cohen household by buying my CD of solo vocal Jewish works, "Shir Chadash" (A New Song).














The CD features soprano Joshana Erenberg and pianst Beth Robin, joined by guest artists Richard Slade (tenor), Joanna Frankel (violinist), Erin Wight (violist) and Evelyn Farny (cellist).

Selections:
1. Psalm 98 (3:59)
2. Psalm 84 (4:52)
3. Y'did Nefesh (3:49)
4. Psalm 121 (3:35)
5. Hashkiveinu (4:20)
6. Adon Olam (2:10)
7. Simeni Chachotam (5:54)

CD Produced by Steve Cohen and Jon Burr

The CD is available at:

AMAZON.COM (CD)

CDBABY.COM (CD and MP3 Downloads)

DIGSTATION.COM. (MP3 Downloads)

Sha-alu Sh'lom Y'rushalayim

I wrote my setting of this text, taken from Psalm 122, verses 6-9, in the summer of 2006. I was attending the North American Jewish Choral Festival up in the Catskills. At the time Lebanon was firing rockets at Israel, and my son was about to leave for Israel to do the Young Judaea Year Course, so the idea of "the Peace of Jerusalem" (and, by extension, the entire State of Israel and all Jewish people worldwide) became a message of great urgency for me.

I'm happy to report that this piece has met with a lot of acceptance. NY's Zamir Choir, led by Matthew Lazar, premiered the piece on 12/24/06, and kept it in their repertoire for the rest of the 2006/2007 season, giving repeat performances at 2 NYC venues and the 2007 NAJCF. It's been performed at Park Avenue Synagogue and Temple Emanu-El. Emanu-El used it this past Friday evening, 8/28/09, and I was able to download the mp3 file from their website. Here it is:

Sha-alu Sh'lom Y'rushalayim

First Entry, 8/22/08

I started this blog on the advice of a friend, but I'm not exactly sure of what to write here.

I'm a composer, arranger, copyist and pianist. I live in a Westchester suburb of New York City. Lately, I'm most active writing Jewish liturgical music, but I also keep active writing chamber, symphonic, choral, vocal pieces (to secular texts) and jazz.

I've just released "Shir Chadash," a CD of my Jewish solo vocal music, featuring soprano Joshana Erenberg and pianist Beth Robin. The CD is available for purchase at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com and DigStation.com.

I'm currently at work on a Tenor Sax Sonata, due to be premiered at Manhattan School of Music (my alma mater), November 11, 2009, assuming I finish it on time.