CONTRASTS offers a vivid journey across cultures, reflecting the ensemble’s own diverse roots. Together these works unite folk heritage with modernist craft and personal expression, illuminating the universal search for identity and belonging in a fractured world. Amid today’s turbulence, this music reminds us that “home” is not just a place but something carried within.
Engineered by four-time Grammy® winner Brad Michel and recorded at the beautiful Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA, this album presents a truly exceptional listening experience. 
This is my first released “Cohler Signature Edition” and I had to start with the greatest piece of music ever written for the clarinet: Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, KV 622!.jpg)
In the final concert of the 2017-2018 Music for Peace series, Boston’s newest chamber music ensemble, Chamber Music Boston, perform works for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, including Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, Op. 11, Bartok’s Contrasts, and Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. I am very excited to perform with world-renowned violinist Jamie Buswell, multiple prize winning pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite, and Concert Artists Guild winning cellist Sebastian Bäverstam. We will also present interesting historical introductions to each work on the program making it an exciting evening for all!
The concert benefits the Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund. Last season co-Artistic Director Rasa Vitkauskaite and I founded Chamber Music Boston and we have plans for many chamber music combinations to come. Stay tuned!
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing with Tim Phillips who for many years now produces a regular radio show on Troy Public Radio focusing totally on the clarinet! We had a fun time talking about Weber and my new CD.
Thanks to my friends and fans all over the world, my Weber CD has made it to #3 on the Amazon Weber Charts above Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Fielder, and Arturo Toscanini! It is also top 20 in all of Indie Classical, and is at #21 on the Clarinet Charts! To listen to samples, read more about the CD, see photos, and buy it click here.
The March-April issue of Fanfare Magazine features a bunch of great reviews of my new CD Cohler plays and conducts Weber!Because the issue is current, I believe all of those reviews are accessible to the public. In case you would like to read more than what the Ongaku Records ad shows here, you can click here for the four reviews excerpted at left: Dave Saemann, Ronald E. Grames, Colin Clarke, and Jerry Dubins. Also, for those who want to learn more about me, there is a great feature article interview with me by Carl Maria Verdino-Süllwold. If you are interested in getting the CD either in hard copy, digital download, or streaming, it is available at Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes (and Apple Music), Google Play, Ongaku, and many other resellers on the web. You can also click on the ad at left to see a larger version! Thank you for your support!
M y CDs are doing great on the Top 100 Bestseller lists at Amazon thanks to all my fans and friends who make this possible! As of January 7, More Cohler on Clarinet was #2 on the Schumann list next to Jacqueline Dupré, #12 on the Poulenc list, and #6 on the Darius Milhaud list! As of January 6, my very first CD, Cohler on Clarinet was at #62 on the Weber list! As of December 29, my new Weber CD was in the TOP 100 of Amazon's Independent Classical at #83 and on December 20, it was #52 in Clarinet alongside colleagues present and past Richard Stoltzman, Karl Leister, Sabine Meyer, Michael Collins, Jack Brymer, and Joaquin Valdepeñas! On December 8, my Messiaen CD was at #5 on the Messiaen list, #1 of all recordings of the Quartet for the End of Time, and #24 among all clarinet recordings just above colleague Martin Frost's excellent recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto! See below for more rankings from December 8 and click on the links to see where they are now! Or click on the covers to buy on Amazon!
Seating is limited so get your TICKETS NOW HERE. For directions and parking information click here.This concert is the inaugural performance of Chamber Music Boston, Boston's newest chamber music ensemble.
On Monday, November 28 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. I will be doing a masterclass at the Aaron Copland School of Music of Queens College in Flushing, New York. The class will be held in Room 226 of the Music Building for anyone who can come.
Join us for a Thanksgiving Weekend concert at 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 27 when we return to Brooklyn for the 20th season of the “Music from Good Shepherd” concert series at Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church, 1950 Batchelder Street, Brooklyn, New York. The exciting and varied concert program includes Rabaud Solo de Concours, Poulenc Sonata, Cahuzac Arlequin, Lutoslawski Dance Preludes, Guastavino Tonada y Cueca, and Sargon KlezMuzik. For more information on the whole series, click here or call or email 718-998-2800, gsrcc@aol.com.“If ever a clarinetist exhibited supernatural powers, it would be Jonathan Cohler. I adore Carl Maria von Weber’s music for clarinet and orchestra. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would hear it played like this. Back in the 1990s, I heard Richard Stoltzman play Weber with the New Jersey Symphony under Christopher Seaman. I have a memory of the suavity and elegance of the solo playing, but it was nothing like the full scale assault on the senses Cohler achieves…Cohler’s program ends with a great treat, Franz Liszt’s arrangement for piano and orchestra of Weber’s Polonaise brillante, originally a piano solo. The pianist is Cohler’s regular duo partner, Rasa Vitkauskaite, who plays with great wit and style, while Cohler’s accompaniment brims with warmth and good feeling...The present CD really is a must if you love Weber’s music. Even after you’ve heard it several times, it’s hard to believe anyone can play the clarinet like this.”
O n November 18 and 19 I gave masterclasses for the clarinet students of the renowned Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, where I was invited by Berlin Philharmonic Principal Clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs. The students were fantastic, the facilities were wonderful, the food was magnificent, and it was such a pleasure to finally get to see this famous city and birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Thank you to Wenzel and to Dario Zingales, who so expertly organized everything and made my visit a great pleasure. I look forward to many future trips back to this wonderful city. Pictures CLICK HERE.“The Concertino and the two Concertos have Mozartean grace; they certainly do in Cohler’s hands…Striking attention is paid throughout to differentiation of dynamics. The two Concertos are flighty, tenderly—even searchingly—pensive and caringly delicate. These are very thoughtful readings—listen for example to the affecting tenderness brought to bear in the slow movement of No. 2. It’s a credit to all concerned that these recordings reflect back a carefree liquid innocence uncompromised by the gymnastic fireworks, sparkling kindling and exuberant virtuosity…The romantic element—pre-echoes of Schumann and Berlioz—also comes across with fiery tension and beguiling delicacy in the two overtures…Vitkauskaite’s plangently played Polonaise brillante—as arranged by Liszt—is a spirited and aristocratic jeu d’esprit carried off with style.”
I had an amazing time joining the renowned Arianna String Quartet to play Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet on Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 2pm on the Saint Gaudens Summer Concert Series in the Little Studio at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, 139 Saint Gaudens Road, Cornish, NH 03745. The performances carry on a tradition by renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who often held concerts in his studio for family and friends. Arianna was incredible. I look forward to playing with them again soon!My latest CD Cohler plays and conducts Weber (Ongaku 024-126) was released on August 15 and is already receiving rave reviews! I am very excited about the project which has been many years in the making. It features the latest scholarship on the Weber Concertino and two concertos including all of my own ornamentations, cadenzas and the like. Beyond the concertos and Concertino, the CD also includes the overtures from two of Weber’s most well known operas: Der Freischütz and Oberon. The last work on the CD, Polonaise brillante was chosen to represent Weber’s pivotal works for piano, which were such an important part of his career and contribution to the music world. The piano soloist on the Polonaise is none other than my amazing duo partner and multiple award winning Lithuanian pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite.The CD is available on Ongaku Records, Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, and most CD vendors around the world. You can also listen to sound samples and see pictures as well as this cool short promo video we made during the sessions.
B eautiful Camerino, Italy featured masterclasses followed by the 6th European Clarinet Festival featuring yours truly. It was such a beautiful environment for a clarinet festival superbly organized by Piero Vincenti. It is so sad that the region has been devastated by several recent earthquakes.
T he International Clarinet Festival held at the Central Conservatory in Beijing featured masterclasses and recital by yours truly. I'll also hopped a quick plane to Qindao for a recital there before returning home. My concert there included Brahms Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2, D’Rivera Invitación al Danzón, Bernstein Sonata, and Sargon KlezMuzik. Without a doubt this was the best organized festival I have ever been to in China, and the lion's share of the credit for that goes to my good friend Yuan Yuan, Professor of Clarinet at the Central Conservatory, and clarinetist of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hungarian National Radio Orchestra Principal Clarinetist Gabor Varga joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on June 4 and 5, 2016 for our seventh intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! Pictures coming soon.
Soloist and clarinet maker Luis Rossi from Chile joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on May 21 and 22, 2016 for our sixth intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! Pictures HERE.
Berlin Philharmonic Principal Clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on April 16 and 17, 2016 for our fifth intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! Pictures HERE.Posted by Jonathan Cohler on Friday, April 1, 2016
Soloist and Prague Opera clarinetist Karel Dohnal joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on March 26 and 27, 2016 for our fourth intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! His rare performance of Stockhausen’s Harlekin was absolutely breathtaking! Pictures HERE.
Paris Opera Principal Clarinetist Philippe Cuper joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on February 13 and 14, 2016 for our third intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! His classes and live performance were a real treat for all. He played his own edited version of a fantasy on themes from Un ballo in maschera along with a brilliant rendition of Pastorale and Scherzo by Jean Aubain. Pictures HERE.
On Friday, February 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. my Meiningen Trio played an exciting concert at the Taylor House, 50 Burroughs St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. The Meiningen Trio includes myself, cellist Sebastian Baverstam, and pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite. We are the new Ensemble in Residence at the Taylor House and this was our inaugural program as such. The Valentine’s Day weekend program entitled “Wings of Love” featured a selection of beautiful romantic repertoire: Glinka Trio Pathetique, Bruch Eight Pieces, Op. 83 (selections), and Fauré Trio in D Minor, Op. 120
Beijing Central Conservatory Professor and China Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Clarinetist Yuan Yuan joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on January 23 and 24, 2016 for our second intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! Professor Yuan also brought six of his top students from the Central Conservatory with him, and we had a wonderful time working together and hearing their student sextet perform Italian in Algiers by Rossini! Pictures HERE.
Recently retired long-time Principal Clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra Franklin Cohen joined us at Boston Clarinet Academy on October 31 and November 1, 2015 for our inaugural intensive weekend of clarinet masterclasses, seminars, ensemble, and all things clarinet! Frank shared his deep knowledge and perspective on clarinet playing, audition taking, music making, and the joy of performing with a very enthusiastic class of students from all over the world. Frank and I enjoyed playing the Mendelssohn Concertpiece No. 1 in F Minor together on the closing concert. A great time was had by all. Pictures HERE.
On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. I played an exciting concert with the Meiningen Trio at the Taylor House, 50 Burroughs St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. The Meiningen Trio included myself, cellist Sebastian Baverstam, and pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite. The program featured three B’s: Beethoven, Bruch, and Bridge. All of the works are transcriptions. The Beethoven Trio Op. 38 is Beethoven’s own transcription of his wildly successful earlier Septet Op. 20. The Bruch Eight Pieces, Op. 83 is originally written for clarinet, viola, and piano but he also made a cello part to replace the viola. In the Bridge Phantasy Trio in C Minor, H. 79 I transcribed the original violin part for the clarinet. 
From July 22 to 26, 2015 I was in Madrid for the annual ClarinetFest of the International Clarinet Association. I taught a masterclass, played a recital on Friday, July 24 at 6 p.m., and judged the final round of the ICA Young Artist Competition on Saturday morning, July 25. My recital program included my own transcription of Schumann Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, along with Guastavino Sonata, and D'Rivera Vals Venezolano. It was a lot of fun! My pianist was as usual the amazing Rasa Vitkauskaite, whose recently released debut solo CD Reflections has been hailed throughout the international classical music press including Fanfare, Gramophone and others. I look forward to this gathering of clarinetists each year where I can reconnect with so many good friends from around the world. 
From July 1 to 15, 2015 I taught in beautiful, historic Arezzo, Italy! The festival included a full performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni along with performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 and Concerto for Violin. Students enjoyed chamber music concerts, clarinet choir, faculty concerts, opera, great Italian food and gelato!! All students played in class nearly every day, and there was at least three hours of masterclass per day. A s of Monday, June 15, 2015, my CDs were charting on the Best Seller lists of the top 100 best-selling CDs in many categories at Amazon! More Cohler on Clarinet ran #4 just behind my cellist idol Jacqueline du Pré in the Schumann category and #51 for all Clarinet music! The Clarinet Alone was #75—followed closely by my CD Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time at #80—in music by Olivier Messiaen, #1 in music by Erland von Koch, and #22 in music by Vincent Persichetti! Moonflowers, Baby! was at #83 in music by Arthur Honegger! Thank you to all my fans and friends for making this possible! Click on the links below to see the Amazon listings as of this morning (they change on the hour).More Cohler on ClarinetJonathan Cohler: The Clarinet AloneOlivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of TimeMoonflowers, Baby!
On February 2 and 3, 2015, I taught clarinet students and did a masterclass at the Cleveland Institute of Music for the students of legendary Cleveland Orchestra principal clarinetist Franklin Cohen, who has held that position for forty years since 1976 and retired just a couple of weeks ago. It was a great honor to be invited by Frank, and I had a wonderful time working with all the excellent students there! My photos from the trip are here.
One of the concerts there was held in the amazing, brand new concert hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony, which just opened a couple of months ago. That is definitely one of the best halls in the world now.
American Tribute is available for purchase on Amazon, CD Baby, and Ongaku Records. We dedicate this recording to all the victims of the terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. $1 from each CD will go to victims of the bombings and their families.
The CD features music for clarinet and piano by great American composers of the last seventy years including Leonard Bernstein, Robert Muczynski, Simon Sargon, Dana Wilson, Victor Babin, and Paquito D'Rivera.
This music spans three generations of American composers including influences from Jazz, to Klezmer, to Latin music. Starting with music from the young and prodigiously talented Leonard Bernstein right after he graduated from Harvard, and moving through to the music of three of today's greatest living American composers, Dana Wilson, Simon Sargon, and Paquito D'Rivera, this CD is a treasure trove of wonderful and characteristic repertoire spanning the styles, cultures, and traditions that are the melting pot of America.
From
July 15 to 29, 2014, I was back in Arezzo, Italy for masterclasses, chamber music, and just a great time soaking in the Tuscan sun! Students came from Europe, Canada, China, and the United States, and a great time was had by all.
From July 29 to August 3, I was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at ClarinetFest 2014. We played a recital at Louisiana State University including Arturo Marquez Zarabandeo, Simon Sargon Deep Ellum Nights, and Paquito D'Rivera Invitación al Danzón. My amazing pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite and I played for an enthusiastic audience packed into the School of Music Recital Hall, and after the concert, we had the great honor of meeting Dana Wilson, composer of the wonderful piece Liquid Ebony that we recorded on our just-released CD American Tribute.
From August 9 to 15, I was in Argentina doing concerts and masterclasses in Buenos Aires and Rosario. It had been several years since I was there, so I was very excited to return to that wonderful country and see all my good friends there! Our program included Arturo Marquez Zarabandeo, Robert Schumann Three Romances, Op. 94, Charles-Marie Widor Introduction et Rondo, Op. 72, Paquito D'Rivera Invitación al Danzón, Simon Sargon Deep Ellum Nights: Three Sketches, and Luigi Bassi Fantasy on Themes from Bellini's "I Puritani". See my album on Facebook for pictures from Argentina.
From August 16 to 26, I did a five-city tour of Brasil with concerts and masterclasses in Goiania, Brasilia, Belem, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo! In Brasilia, I played Finzi's beautiful Concerto for clarinet and strings as well as a new arrangement of Bassi's Fantasia on Themes from “I Puritani” for clarinet and orchestra with the National Symphony of Brasil.The tour also included several recitals with my amazing pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite, as well as masterclasses and chamber music.
From
July 7 to 13, 2013, I was back in beautiful Xativa, Spain teaching
at the 5º Curso Internacional
de Musica Ciutat de Xàtiva. The festival was a 7-day intensive event, lead
by Fran Moral, founder of Saetebis Music Society, and once again, the clarinet studio was completely full. This summer wasn't quite as hot as usual, which was a real relief! The students and my faculty colleagues were wonderful as always. I had the honor of playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, under the direction of maestro Michael Thomas, and that was a treat! For pics and updates, check out the group on Facebook.
From March 13 to 25, 2013, I toured several ciies in China doing masterclasses in Shenyang, Dalian, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Beijing. In Shenyang, I gave classes at the Shenyang Conservatory for the students of Professor Dong Dejun. While in Luoyang, I gave a large public masterclass, and had the wonderful opportunity to visit the ancient Longmen Grottoes: 1400 buddhist caves that date back as far as 493 AD! In Zhengzhou, I gave a class at the music school there and then it was on to the China Conservatory in Beijing, where I worked once again with the students of Professor Yi He.
From February 18 to 22, 2013, I was one of the featured artists of the 3rd International Clarinet Festival in Lima and Cusco, Peru, where I judged the First National Clarinet Competition of Peru. The other featured artists/judges were Gabor Varga (Hungary), Karel Dohnal (Czech Republic), and Jean-Francois Bescond (France). The festival was organized by Luis Enrique Vargas Guevara, principal clarinetist of the National Symphony Orchestra in Lima, Peru. For more information, send email to info@peruvianclarinet.com see the Facebook Page, or see the website. 
From December 26 to 30, 2012, I was in Xativa once again, but this time at the First Xativa International Clarinet Festival, which also included piano lessons by my stellar pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite. I taught lessons, masterclasses, and played a recital there including the Brahms Sonata No. 1 and Schumann Intermezzo from FAE Sonata. For more information on the festival in both English and Spanish, check out this Facebook page and this Facebook event or send email to the festival here. Video and pictures from the event will be posted soon!
From November 24 to 30, 2012, I toured Hungary playing concerts with my wonderful pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite and teaching masterclasses in Budapest, Miskolc, and Debrecen. The concerts and masterclasses took place at the beautiful Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Bartok Conservatory in Miskolc and the University of Debrecen. This was my first time to Hungary and it certainly won't be my last! In Budapest, we had the great honor of playing and teaching in the beautiful concert hall of the old building at the Franz Liszt Academy, which now houses a Liszt Museum and other organizations dedicated to the history of Franz Liszt. Our concert program in Hungary included Prokofiev Sonata in D Major, Op. 94, Schumann Fantasiestucke, Op. 73, Widor Introduction et Rondo, Op. 72, and Bassi Fantasy on themes from Verdi's "Rigoletto".
The students there were wonderful and the goulash was amazing! Check out pictures on my Facebook page.
Iknew my physics degree from Harvard would come in handy some day! Actually, I use my physics background every day in my teaching and playing of the clarinet, chamber music, conducting, recording and really all aspects of music making. So I was very excited when I was recently invited to give a guest lecture at Harvard on Monday, November 19, 2012 on the topic of musical instruments and physics! The unexpected invitation came from world-renowned Professor Eric Mazur (Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Area Dean of Applied Physics) and Preceptor Carolann Koleci (formerly Director of Physics Education and Assistant Professor of Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute) who have developed an innovative new undergraduate course (AP50) together using the Peer Instruction method that Mazur pioneered starting in 1990 and now is used worldwide in many science disciplines.In first-semester AP50, there are no formal lectures and no traditional examinations. Instead, introductory physics concepts are motivated and learned through three, one-month-long, team-based projects: Rube Goldberg Machines, Mission to Mars, and Musical Instruments. For an interesting blog-post on “Applied Physics 50: Physics as a Foundation for Science” click here, and for an informative story from the Harvard Crimson published September 5, 2012, check out Applied Physics 50 Offers Innovative Teaching Style.
Everything went well and a great time was had by all! I really brushed up on my PowerPoint skills at the same time. Thank you again to Prof. Mazur and Preceptor Koleci!
On Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 7:00 pm, I gave students insights into how to prepare for and take successful auditions. The class was aimed at preparing students to audition for college, All-State, Districts, Middle-Level Honor Band, or even school band seating challenges. I heard four great kids playing flute, saxophone, and clarinet. The school is founded run by its energetic, talented, dedicated and generally wonderful Director and flute teacher Trisha Craig.
It all took place at Music Makers,
18 Lafayette Road, Suite 2, North Hampton, New Hampshire 03862. For info and directions to the school see the Facebook event here. To find out more about taking music lessons there call Music Makers at 603-964-2950 or send a message via Facebook here.
It was nice to see all of you who joined me at the Boston Conservatory Single Reed Symposium on Sunday, October 14, 2012. I gave a masterclass focusing on the Debussy Première Rhapsodie and then played a short recital with pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite in conjunction with a presentation by Vandoren, which is one of my sponsors and a sponsor of the festival. Our program included Brahms Sonata in F Minor, Op. 120, No. 1 and Sargon KlezMuzik. The two-day festival was filled with masterclasses, performances, vendor presentations, and exhibits for both saxophone and clarinet and a great time was had by all. Other artists who performed and taught at the festival included Michael Lowenstern, Lee Livengood, Ken Radnofsky, Chien-Kwan Lin, Eric Hewitt, and Michael Norsworthy.
From
July 8 to 14, 2012, I was back in beautiful Xativa, Spain teaching
at the 4º Curso Internacional
de Musica Ciutat de Xàtiva. The festival was a 7-day intensive event, lead
by Fran Moral, founder of Saetebis Music Society, and once again, the clarinet studio was completely full. Check out Fran's pictures here and my pictures here.
During the summer, it is 37 or 38 degrees Celsius nearly every
day in Xàtiva, which is one of the hottest places in Spain!
The students range in age from 14 to 50. For the latest scoop on past and future Xativa festivals, see the group on Facebook!
From July 15 to 22, 2012, we held the 7th edition of the International Woodwind Festival and all available student slots were completely full!! IWWF 2012 faculty included Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Solo Clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs, former Simon Bolivar Orchestra principal clarinetist Jorge Montilla, soloist and instrument maker Yuan Gao, Cynthia Doggett and yours truly. This year IWWF was held again in Pella, Iowa.
The IWWF Young Artists Competition included cash and equipment prizes from sponsors totalling more than $2000 and was judged by our prestigious faculty members. The First Prize winner was Saul Sanchez Zea from Mexico; the Second Prize winner was Micah Wright from the USA; and there were two Third Prize winners: Luis Enrique Vargas Guevara of Peru, and Omar Ho of Canada. Another first featured at this years festival was live streaming of masterclasses and concerts. For photos of IWWF 2012 click here.The festival was packed full of lessons, masterclasses, 5 faculty concerts, pianists, 2 student concerts, the international competition and loads of fun times! I hope you can join us next year for IWWF 2013!
O n April 1, 2012, I had the pleasure of playing Claude Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra,
conducted by Bruce Hangen,
at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre. The Boston Musical Intelligencer review of the concert said, “Clarinettist Jonathan Cohler played like a Bird of Paradise...”! For the complete review, click here.
The program also included pianist Max Levinson playing Debussy’s Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra and saxophonist Kenneth Radnofsky playing Debussy’s Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, in addition to performances by the orchestra of Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 “Haffner” and Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole. You can see the full program with program notes here.
The Première Rhapsodie is originally written for clarinet and piano, and I recorded it with pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite on my CD Rhapsodie Française.
From March 9 to 19, 2012, I was on tour in China playing concerts and teaching masterclasses at conservatories in Tianjin, Shenyang, and Beijing. I was also honored to be the first foreigner ever to teach masterclasses for the Military Band of the People's Liberation Army of China.At the Tianjin Conservatory, I played a recital and taught masterclasses for the students of Professors Xie and Zhang; at the Shenyang Conservatory, I played a recital and taught masterclasses for students of Professor Dong; and in Beijing at the China Conservatory, I taught masterclasses for the students of Professor He. Pictures to come soon here and on Facebook.
O n Friday, January 6, 2012, my CD The Clarinet Alone was right near the top in Indie Music Classical (#10) and Clarinet (#12) on Amazon! It moved up to #2 on the Messiaen list and #1 on both the Persichetti list and the von Koch list! Moonflowers, Baby! also moved up to #44 for Clarinet and #36 for Vaughan Williams! At the same time, More Cohler on Clarinet is now in the top 100 for Schumann (mistakenly shown as English Horn!). Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time have retained their status in their respective lists for a long time now. Thank you to all my fans and friends for making this possible!
Jonathan Cohler: The Clarinet AloneMoonflowers, Baby!Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of TimeMore Cohler on ClarinetI was also very excited and honored to play on this program, which was in honor of the 86th birthday of one of Scott McAllister's most influential teacher's, Gunther Schuller, the Pulitzer Prize winning composer, conductor, former President of NEC, and former Director of the Tanglewood Music Center. Gunther was in attendance with smiles on for his 86th.
My
former student Ana
Catalina Ramirez was selected as Clarinetist of the Year 2010 by CLARIPERU - El clarinete en Latinoamerica
It was a very special event for me and Yuga, and
it couldn't have turned out any better. Many dear friends, students and family were
all in attendance to share this once-in-a-lifetime moment, and we were very touched
and thankful to have so much wonderful support. For pictures of the event, check
out my Facebook page here,
and you can see the performance by just clicking on the video above.
A major new clarinet competition and festival took place in Kortrijk, Belgium from
October 30 to November 7, 2010! I taught masterclasses, played the Weber Quintet with the Ciurlionis Quartet from Lithuania, and
judged the huge new international competition there on a very prestigious panel
including myself, Karl Leister, Stanley Drucker, Koichi Hamanaka, Eddy Vanoosthuyse,
Antonio Saoite, Fan Lei, Robert Spring, Valdemar Rodriguez, Mattias Müller,
and James Gillespie. As part of the same event, the European Clarinet Association
was officially formed, and the first European Clarinet Festival took place from
November 4 to 7, 2010. Click
here for festival and competition information.
The jury and prizes offered were the largest of any clarinet competition in the world. It is planned to happen every two years going forward. I had a great time drinking beer and sharing stories with clarinet legends Karl Leister and Stanley Drucker and the other panel members. The entire event was organized by Eddy Vanoosthuyse and was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Pictures coming soon.
along with yours truly Jonathan Cohler, as well as pianists Rasa Vitkauskaite,
and Shizue Sano. 
The orchestra concert included Beethoven Symphony No. 6, Arismendi Concerto, Ravel La Valse, and Corigliano Concerto, and it took place on Saturday, November 7 at 5:00pm in Simon Bolivar Hall at the Centro de Acción Social por la Música in Caracas. The Facebook event page is HERE.
Our recital on Monday, November 9 at 6:30pm in Concert Hall No. 2 of the Centro de Acción Social por la Música in Caracas included Schumann Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105, Martinu Sonatina, Bernstein Sonata, and Bassi Rigoletto. The Facebook event page is HERE.
The Morton Gould performance was on Sunday, November 8 at 5:00pm at the
Humboldt Cultural Association in Caracas.
Luckily, we had a little bit of free time, so we were able to check out the beaches in Espinho and Matosinho where we also ate some great seafood!
For more info on the fabulous Claremont Trio see their website at http://claremonttrio.com/.
"Jonathan Cohler is an acclaimed soloist and chamber musician. He has been heard in concerts around the world. His many recordings have been lauded by publications including the American Record Guide, BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone... His collaborator in this recording is Lithuanian-born pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite. Initially trained in Vilnius, and later in Italy and at the Boston Conservatory, she has won top prizes at international piano competitions including the Rubinstein, Les Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes and the Mendelssohn Cup.
The success of the collaboration of these two world-class artists is unquestionable and on vivid display throughout this CD. The duo's performances achieve an ideal blend of elegance, delicacy, and joie de vivre. The listener is struck by the easy virtuosity and inherent musicality of every performance, and by the sensitivity and subtlety of Cohler and Vitkauskaite's ensemble work."
"...flawless...dazzling...sensitivity and grace...sparkling
performances...Rhapsodie Francaise is a CD worthy of any
collection."
Some of the other artists chosen for the honor include Yo-Yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, Helene Grimaud, Gustavo Dudamel with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Claudio Abbado with the London Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Fournier, Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Emil Gilels, and James Galway.
This is the tour poster made our top sponsor Gao's Royal Musical Collection.
Hope you like it!.
The clarinet faculty included yours truly, Valdemar Rodriguez (Simon Bolivar
Orchestra), Jessica Philipps (New York Metropolitan Opera), Robert Spring (soloist),
and Michael Norsworthy (soloist, Boston Conservatory). We also had the brilliant,
young Claremont Trio in residence
and three fabulous pianists: Shizue Sano,
Eliko Akahori, and Yoko Kida.
Here's a live performance of me with the Claremont
Trio playing the sixth
Bruch piece! From left to right, that's Julie Bruskin (cello), Emily Bruskin
(violin), me, and Donna Kwong (piano).
Here's a live performance of me with the Claremont Trio playing the third movement of Beethoven Trio, Op. 11!
Pictures from Buenos Aires.
Pictures from festival in Yantai.
Pictures from festival in Changchun, China.
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