About Me
Graham Cohen’s life in music as both a composer and performer has been characterized by a relentless spirit of exploration; from the wonderful little known gems of solo viola repertoire that he uncovered for his graduate and undergraduate recitals at Juilliard, to his championing of the music of his fellow young composers, to his own music inspired by many folk traditions, which led to his taking up the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and banjo, and to developing his skills in various Canadian fiddle styles. From his exploration of the repertoire for viola d’amore and his work in historical performance with Juilliard415, to working in various contemporary musical styles, and the vast amount of orchestral and chamber music he has played as an violist and violinist, it is his range and skill in so many areas that makes his musical contribution unique.
Originally from Arizona, Graham was born into a family of musicians; from the time he could walk, he would often be seen sitting next to someone in one of his father’s orchestras, reading along with their part. He began composing at the age of four, violin at five, and piano at six. His performing career soon began as well, earning the illustrious position of concertmaster of his elementary school orchestra, followed by principal oboe of the band, a position he fought hard for as the only oboe player in the school. By age ten, Graham was playing violin in two of his father’s amateur orchestras and his local youth symphony.
In 2009, Graham won the first prize Charlotte Bergen Scholarship in ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Awards for his piece, Infernal Fantasy, a work for symphony orchestra. He remains the youngest ever winner of the top prize. The following year, Graham auditioned for and was ultimately accepted to the Juilliard School’s Pre-College division; Graham and his family moved to New Jersey upon his acceptance. Inspired by a stint in the 1st violin section in his youth symphony, he also switched from violin to viola at this time, and became a viola minor, studying with Kenji Bunch. He later continued his viola studies with Toby Appel, beginning in 2013.
During his time at Pre-College as a composition major, Graham actively pursued his interest in performance as well. Throughout high school, he was principal violist of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, coached and performed on violin and viola in the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra, was frequently principal or assistant principal viola of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestras, and additionally performed in chamber music ensembles with New Jersey Youth Symphony and Juilliard Pre-College. He also began playing with his father’s professional orchestra, the MusicaNova Orchestra in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ultimately, Graham decided to pursue viola performance for college, and was accepted to Juilliard in 2017 as a student of Toby Appel. He holds both a Bachelor of Music (‘21) and a Master of Music (‘23) from the school. Throughout his time as a student at Juilliard, he was active in the chamber music program and a member of the viola section in the Juilliard Orchestra, performing under conductors such as John Adams, Thomas Adès, Marin Alsop, Jeffrey Milarsky, David Robertson, and Speranza Scappucci. He also participated in Juilliard’s new music ensembles, including the AXIOM ensemble’s performance of Andriessen’s De Staat as part of the New York Philharmonic’s The Art of Andriessen series in 2018, and as part of Juilliard Creative Associate Nadia Sirota’s showcase at the Chelsea Factory in 2022. Graham also studied baroque viola with Robert Mealy, and frequently joined Juilliard415, the school’s historical performance ensemble. A champion of neglected viola repertoire, Graham’s recitals featured works such as the Concerto Romantico by Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Lament for Viola and Piano by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Rhapsodie by Jean Françaix. He also gave the first ever Hardanger fiddle performance at Juilliard on his graduation recital.
Outside of Juilliard, Graham maintained an active presence as a performer. He has attended summer festivals such as Yellow Barn’s Young Artists Program, Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, and Colorado College Summer Music Festival, where he was principal violist for the festival orchestra in both 2022 and 2023. Graham performed the viola d’amore solo in Bach’s St. John Passion and has appeared as soloist for Jeff Manookian's Improvisations on Armenian Folk Songs with the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra, Edmund Rubbra's Viola Concerto with the MusicaNova Orchestra, and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in a reading with the Colorado College Summer Music Festival orchestra, as one of the concerto competition winners. He also has had two concertos written for him, by Malaysian based composer Patrick Jonathan, and by Alan Belkin, Professor Emeritus in Composition at the University of Montreal, to be premiered in October of 2023.
Graham continues to be a prolific composer; he has won several awards for his compositions, including additional prizes from the ASCAP Morton Gould Awards in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, the New Jersey Symphony’s Young Composers Award in 2013, and the Music and More Young Composers award in 2014. His works have been performed in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, with performances by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, MusicaNova, the Rogue Trio, the Vuorovesi Trio, Paradise Winds and members of the Juilliard community. A recent commission, Introduction and Toccata, was recorded by The Lotus Saxophone Trio, and is featured on their first album. Graham’s Gamelan Suite for String Orchestra was premiered in 2021, and was performed again in March 2023 with the MusicaNova orchestra. He also has arranged many works for educational chamber music and orchestral performances, and created new versions of scores and parts to bring previously underplayed music to new audiences.
Currently, Graham performs with Les Violons du Roy as part of their inaugural Programme Émergence for young professionals, playing selected concerts in Québec and Montreal, chamber music events, and community outreach. He additionally holds the position of principal violist and viola coach with the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra, and maintains an active presence in the New Jersey and New York City freelance community, performing a variety of orchestral concerts as well as musicals and operas, and is a roster musician for the New Jersey Light Opera. Graham also maintains a small studio of private viola and violin students of all ages.
Graham plays on a 2017 Guy Rabut viola, a 2008 Charlie Ogle viola d’amore, a 2022 Bevan Wulffenstejn Hardanger fiddle he commissioned, and a banjo made by his great-grandfather.