Zach Cohen

Photographer: Erin Baiano

Zachary Cohen, a native of the Bronx, is Principal Bass of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2018 the SPCO won a Grammy for best chamber performance of Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ which Cohen was on. Before the SPCO, Cohen won the position of principal bass of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in his senior year of Juilliard at the age of 22. He was the youngest principal bassist in the country at the time. 

Cohen received his Bachelor of Music from Juilliard where he studied with legendary bassist Homer Mensch. During his summers Cohen has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, and The Dresden Musikfestspiele. He has played with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra as well as principal bass of Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago under Carlos Kalmar. 

As an active chamber musician Cohen has collaborated with a wide range of artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Richard Goode, Mitsuko Uchida, Midori, Mark O'Connor and members of the Brooklyn Rider, Guarneri and Mendelssohn quartets. He has also worked closely with some of today's most respected composers such as Clarice Assad, Missy Mazzoli, Henri Dutilleux, Osvaldo Golijov, and Mario Davidovsky. 

While attending Juilliard, Cohen became a member of The Knights, participating in some of the original chamber gatherings and jams at the Jacobsen’s home across the street from Juilliard.  He has toured extensively with them and recorded for Sony Classical.