Jonah Cohen (b. 2004) (he/him) is a composer, conductor, pianist, and cellist from Farmington Hills, MI and currently based in New York City. His compositions tend to revolve around his fascinations with space, time, motion, and stagnation and how they are relevant in the here and now. He strives to write music that is accessible yet unafraid to explore sonic realms that may be uncomfortable. One of his most central pursuits is balancing risk with safety and security in his music to create memorable and impactful experiences for the audience.
Dedicated to supporting future generations of musicians, Jonah is the founder and Program Director of The NowBeat Project. Since its founding in 2021, this nonprofit organization has provided free opportunities for over 50 young composers from 17 US states and 5 countries, and will present its first in-person concert in May 2024. Beginning in Fall 2024, Jonah will also serve as a Teaching Fellow in The Juilliard School’s Ear Training Department, working with Dr. Kevin Quill.
As a conductor, Jonah began his formal studies at Interlochen Arts Academy, where he participated in the Advanced Conducting course. Through this class he worked extensively with Dr. Matthew Schlomer, and as a final project, he conducted a string orchestra made up of Academy students in a performance Richard Meyer’s Vanishing Pointe. During his time at Interlochen, Jonah also founded and directed the Interlochen Modern Music Project, which was a chamber orchestra comprised of students dedicated to reading and rehearsing works written in the last 100 years. Jonah is currently a Robert L. Poster Apprentice Conductor at the New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), where he studies with NYYS Music Director Andrew J. Kim and NYYS Assistant Conductor Adrian Rogers.