Maurice Cohn Leads Syracuse Orchestra in “Inspired by Jazz” Program as Music Director Candidate

In Tuesday’s (1/6) Syracuse.com (NY), Linda Loomis writes, “Maurice Cohn will conduct The Syracuse Orchestra for two performances of ‘Inspired by Jazz’ Jan. 10 and 11 at St. Paul’s Syracuse. He is the fourth of six candidates vying for the position of music director. The program will be comprised of orchestral music by composers who crossed the boundaries between jazz, theater, and classical music. Cohn is the music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra; his 2024-2025 season highlights included debuts with the Omaha Symphony and the Filharmonie Bohslava Martinů … Cohn said he moved from focusing on cello performance to orchestra conducting came about as he worked part-time teaching and conducting while in college. ‘I fell in love with the almost jigsaw puzzle aspect of working with 80 talented individuals in various sections of the orchestra,’ he said…. ‘I really want us to get to know each other, to build a sense of trust that reaches across the entire orchestra.’… A key goal for Cohn is to figure out new ways to present orchestral music to contemporary audiences. He said he’s open to experimentation, to discovering programming that brings different art forms together, to involving audiences in experiences that are unique and authentic.”