Click over Logo to Home Page
December 2014 Hot News
22 December 2014
Cleveland, Ohio USA
Mr. Cohen joined The Cleveland Orchestra at the invitation of Music Director Lorin Maazel. In 1968, he gained international recognition as the first clarinetist to win the First Prize at the prestigious Munich International Music Competition.
Mr. Cohen is one of the few musicians of his time to combine a world class solo, chamber, and orchestral career. He is widely considered among the great musicians of his generation. Acclaimed for the strength, passion and beauty of his playing, he is one of the most frequent concerto soloists in the history of The Cleveland Orchestra, appearing as soloist at Severance Hall, Blossom Music Center, Carnegie Hall, and on tours throughout the United States, Asia and Europe to critical acclaim.
Over the span of Mr. Cohen’s career, he has been heard in many thousands of concerts and broadcasts. His commercial recording credits won a Grammy Award and much critical acclaim. His unique, expressive sound and musicianship have brought a distinctive voice to The Cleveland Orchestra for many years. He has earned glowing praise for his poignant musicality and technical mastery. Mr. Cohen has performed with many of the great string quartets of the 20th Century.
He has taught and performed at virtually all the major American music festivals and has served as Department Head at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 39 years. He has been an honored juror at many prestigious international music competitions.
In demand internationally as both a performer and teacher, Mr. Cohen looks forward to an expanded career as soloist and collaborative artist, in addition to mentoring the next generation of young musicians. His new multi faceted artistic life will take him to Asia, Italy, Scandinavia, France, South America, Canada and throughout the United States. Mr. Cohen will continue as co-artistic director of the acclaimed ChamberFest Cleveland, will launch a new custom-made clarinet mouthpiece company and also plans to conduct. He also looks forward to traveling the world with friends and family.
FRANKLIN COHEN biography
Principal Principal Clarinet of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1976, Franklin Cohen has distinguished himself as one of the outstanding clarinetists of his generation. His playing has been described as “hypnotic, impeccable, brilliant . . . with a vocal quality that would be the envy of any singer.” He first gained international recognition and acclaim when, at the age of 22, he became the first clarinetist awarded first prize at the International Munich Competition (the other first prize that year went to soprano Jessye Norman). Since then, Mr. Cohen has enjoyed an illustrious career as soloist, recitalist, chamber artist, pedagogue and orchestral principal.
For the 1968 Munich Competition, Mr. Cohen played Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. He has performed this piece often with The Cleveland Orchestra and recorded it in January 1992 with the Orchestra and Christoph von Dohnányi for Decca Records. Mr. Cohen is also the soloist in Debussy’s First Rhapsody on a Deutsche Grammophon recording conducted by Pierre Boulez that won two Grammy Awards in 1996, and on a Decca recording of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas with pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Since his first solo appearance with The Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. Cohen has been heard as a concerto soloist in nearly 200 performances — at Severance Hall, Carnegie Hall, Blossom Music Festival, and on tour across the United States, and in Asia and Europe.
With his daughter, violinist Diana Cohen, Franklin Cohen is the co-artistic director of the critically acclaimed ChamberFest Cleveland, the first international summer chamber music festival in Cleveland, which presented its inaugural season in 2012. ChamberFest’s huge success has led to an expanded vision for growth locally and internationally.
A native New Yorker, Franklin Cohen started music lessons with his mother, a professional pianist. He began clarinet studies at the age of 10, and his professional music career was launched when Leopold Stokowski chose him as principal clarinet of the American Symphony Orchestra while a student at Juilliard.
As a recitalist and chamber artist, Mr. Cohen has participated in the Aspen, Blossom, Casals, Marlboro, Santa Fe, and Sarasota music festivals. He has also been a featured artist with many of the world’s leading chamber groups, including the Emerson, Guarneri, Takács, Tokyo, Miro,Miami, Orion, Shostakovich, Cavani and Ysaÿe string quartets and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. In addition, Mr. Cohen has collaborated with leading artists including Emanuel Ax, Pinchas Zukerman, Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jessye Norman, Menahem Pressler and Heidi Grant Murphy, among many others. Mr. Cohen has given countless masterclasses and seminars at prestigious universities and conservatories throughout the world. His former students hold principal positions in major orchestras in North America, Europe, Mexico and Asia.
Mr. Cohen’s two children both graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music and are currently members of the Calgary Philharmonic, Diana serves as concertmaster and Alexander is the principal timpanists.
17 - 20 December 2014
68th MidWest Band & Orchestra Clinic
Chicago, Illinois USA
What began as
120 music directors meeting for six hours in a Chicago YWCA gym has now become
the annual four-day music band and orchestra conference known as
The Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra
and Music Conference. For the
past 67 years, musicians, educators and people passionate about music education
of all skill levels have gathered in Chicago for the largest music conference of
its kind.
The Midwest Clinic
International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference offers guests interested in
music education an array of clinics and exhibits, as well as access to music and
teaching icons. The conference will also focus on industry trends and future
topics in business and music education. With more than 17,000 attendees from all
50 states and more than 30 countries, The Midwest Clinic offers music educators
and musicians alike an
unmatched networking opportunity.
The Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference each year
displays top ensembles throughout the music conference to showcase the newest
ideas and talent. From students to professionals, performers have a chance to
exhibit their talents to a supportive and enthusiastic audience with an interest
in furthering music education. Each band and orchestra conference is unique and
offers attendees the most up-to-date music styles and education techniques.
Anyone and everyone
can attend the conference! Guests of the music conference do not have to be
part of an orchestra, band or other group. Musicians, administrators and music
education enthusiast may register on their own or as part of a group. While
offering world-class innovation, education and networking, The Midwest Clinic
maintains competitive rates to ensure that musicians and music educators from
all financial backgrounds can attend.
The musical education agendas presented as seen on their comprehensive website covers every possible venue of interest to performers, teachers, entrapeneurs, industry (one of the largest exhibit venues in the country), including music education performing ensembles, orchestras, concert Bands, jazz ensembles, Choral groups at all levels of which all are invited by audition. Seminars are comprehensive, covering every topic imaginable. Each year, the highlight performance has a Washington Major Premiere Band, this year the US Navy Band.
Of interest to Clarinetists and Teachers of this instrument, seminars on topics were given, notably by Professor at Ithaca College Richard Faria, and VIP Deborah Andrus, who with other woodwind teachers, discussed a new online 'book' covering issues teaching those instruments through the high school level. Information on both seminars below:
The annual attendance at this Conference stands past 17,000 participants including the students, teachers, vendors, and interested persons, and is the most important festival of its kind in the United States. It is a must come for the volumes of activities and benefits, and major connections with like-minded professionals, and for pursuing employment opportunities in the music field. The Chicago Symphony plays a large part in the activities here as well.
11 - 13 December 2014
4th European Clarinet Congress with the European Clarinet Association - ECA
Korterice, Poland
Summary information forthcoming
10 - 13 December 2014
Festival Senior VIP Donald Montanaro
lxapan de la Sal, Mexico
Summary information forthcoming
8 - 9 December 2014
Happy Holiday Celebrations in New York with Vandoren and Buffet Group USA with renowned VIP's
New York City USA
Summary information forthcoming
8 December 2014
VIP Gary Gray Master Class at California State University Northridge, VIP Julia Heinen, Host
Northridge, California USA
Summary information forthcoming
Copyright © 1999 WKA-Clarinet.org. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 22, 2014