Simon Cohen is a Ph.D. student in musicology at UC Berkeley. A recent transplant from New York, he previously was head of classical programming at WKCR-FM. Articles By This Author Review Two Hector Berlioz Scores Get the Love They Deserve Simon Cohen - May 31, 2023 Conductor John Nelsons, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, and collaborators give great performances of Roméo et Juliette and Cléopâtre. Review A Dazzling Six-Hour Journey Into the Cosmos Simon Cohen - May 23, 2023 Stranger Love, a monumental new opera by Dylan Mattingly, astonishes in its premiere at the LA Phil. Review SF Symphony and Chorus Steam Through Bach and Handel Simon Cohen - April 17, 2023 Jane Glover conducts a concert of works by the two Baroque heavyweights, with mixed results. Review Edward Dusinberre Glosses Themes of Nostalgia and Romantic Longing in New Book Simon Cohen - February 21, 2023 The Takács Quartet’s first violinist tracks his own history and those of favorite composers in Distant Melodies: Music in Search of Home. Review SF Symphony Premieres Oratorio That Takes on Homelessness Simon Cohen - February 6, 2023 Composer Gabriel Kahane mixes indie-pop styles and sophisticated orchestral writing in his darkly satiric emergency shelter intake form. Review A Charles Ives Celebration With Marc-André Hamelin and Other Minds Simon Cohen - January 23, 2023 The legacy of American experimental music is what connects the groundbreaking composer and the Bay Area presenter in a lecture-concert at Mills. Review Seong-Jin Cho Mesmerizes in Cal Performances Debut Simon Cohen - December 13, 2022 The pianist showed an ability to connect to audiences and take risks, but some of his playing was a bit too flamboyant. Review Danny Driver Brings Serious Virtuosity to San Francisco Simon Cohen - November 13, 2022 A recital of technical showpieces for SF Performances reveals the pianist’s precision and expressivity.
