"We are proud to unite our audiences
through their shared love for the arts."
A concert interview with conductor Maurice Cohn
"Music plays with our imagination -- it allows for incredible emotional and expressive journeys and invites the listener to be an active participant in that process."
Maurice Cohn, a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, currently serves as Assistant Conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Maurice is a regular guest conductor with the Chicago-based contemporary ensemble Zafa Collective and was also the Assistant Conductor of the Aspen Music Festival for the 2022 season.
He joins Jefferson Symphony Orchestra October 16 as our first of three candidate conductors during our 2022/23 season.
JSO: Tell us 3 words that describe listening to a symphony orchestra.
Maurice Cohn: "Enchanting, powerful, and inspiring."
Share 2 examples why this concert’s programming is exceptional.
MC: "This concert truly features for the whole orchestra -- every section of the ensemble will have solo moments and a turn in the spotlight.
"We will play some hidden gems alongside familiar masterworks -- the Copland and Bartók are concert mainstays, while the Boulanger and Rodrigo you might be hearing for the first time."
What are 2 reasons why you should attend any live symphony concert?
MC: "Music is a communal experience both for the performers and the audience -- art is better when we share it together!
"There are always aspects of live performance a recording can never capture, as the pacing, range, and energy of the music are specific to the room where they are played."
Share how you got into conducting!
"I was a cello student at Oberlin Conservatory and started work for a youth orchestra as a cello coach and assistant conductor. I really loved working with that group and ended up finding more and more opportunities to conduct, then once I finished my cello degree I started studying conducting full-time."
What is 1 reason why “life is better with music?”
MC: "Music plays with our imagination -- it allows for incredible emotional and expressive journeys and invites the listener to be an active participant in that process, completing the sonic picture in their own head."
What is 1 secret to conducting an orchestra?
Trust!
Is there anything else you'd like to mention to our symphony audiences?
"There is never a 'right' or 'wrong' way to listen to music -- the only thing that matters is to have an open and honest engagement with the sounds in front of you. I'm so looking forward to meeting all of you and journeying through this music together!"
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