Biography
Soprano saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Yuval Cohen, has developed his own unique sound and melodic approach to composition and improvisation.
Lee Konitz, Lew Soloff, Arnie Lawrence, Reggie Workman, Anat Cohen - Avishai Cohen (3 Cohens), Omer Avital, Eric Harland, Aaron Goldberg, Jason Lindner, Matt Penman, Greg Hutchinson, Aaron Parks, Jonathan Blake, Garry Versace, Gilad Hekselman, Shai Maestro – All just a few of the wonderful world renowned figures with whom Yuval has played.
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel (1973), Yuval has studied music at the Tel Aviv Conservatory, at the School of Arts, and at the “Thelma Yellin” High School for the Arts. During his studies, he was selected to perform the Glazonov Concerto for alto saxophone and string orchestra, and toured Europe and Israel as a soloist.
In 1996 Yuval graduated from Berklee College of Music (Summa Cum Laude). While at Berklee, Yuval was awarded the college prizes for outstanding achievements and the woodwind department award. His compositions were chosen to represent the college in the prestigious journal Jazziz.
In 1997 Yuval received a full scholarship for a masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music.
Yuval’s debut CD, Freedom, received excellent critiques, and is regularly played on Israeli radio channels.
His family band, the 3 Cohens, has 4 albums, and regularly performs in the US, Europe, South America and Israel (www.3cohens.com)
In June 2010 Yuval's second album, "Song Without Words", was released (Anzic Records). This new album, a duo with pianist Shai Maestro, received outstanding critics, and is considered one of the best jazz albums in Israel.
In July 2010 Yuval completed his Masters in Composition (M.Mus) from the Rubin Academy for Music and Dance in Jerusalem.
In October 2010 Yuval won the prestigious Landau prize in the category of Jazz performance!
In 2013 Yuval's album "Hakol Zehavi", an intensive work on the music of Iraeli composer David Zehavi got wonderful critics, and on 2017 Yuval won the prestigious Prime minister' s award for composers in the field of Jazz.
Yuval is the head of the jazz studies department Jerusalem academy for Music and Dance, head of the jazz studies at the Israeli conservatory of Tel Aviv, a teacher at the Thelma Yellin high school of the arts, and at the New School branch at the Tel Aviv Music Conservatory.
Photo By: Peter Vit
