The Monmouth Symphony works with many talented musicians for the guest solo artists featured in their concert performances. Please find biographies of upcoming guest musicians below.
Paul Cohen
October 29, 2023
Paul Cohen is a sought-after saxophonist for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Richmond Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Charleston Symphony and the Philharmonia Virtuosi. His many solo orchestra performances include works by Debussy, Creston, Ibert, Glazunov, Martin, Loeffler, Husa, Dahl, Still, Villa-Lobos, Tomasi, and Cowell. He has also performed with a broad range of orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera (NYC), American Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Oregon Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Group for Contemporary Music, Greenwich Symphony, and New York Solisti.
Dr. Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio and Dahl as well as chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell,
Siegmeister, and Loeffler. As arranger he has written "The Renaissance Book" (Galaxy Music), "Four Piano Blues" and "Our Town" by Copland for saxophone quartet (Boosey and Hawkes). His company, To the Fore Publishers, (www.totheforepublishers.com ) publishes his arrangements as well as original, historical, and contemporary saxophone works. Dr. Cohen frequently presents lectures illustrating his talks with rare instruments, manuscripts, and archival material from his extensive private collection.
The Presser Music Company publishes his arrangements for saxophone choir of "Variations on America" by Charles Ives and the Schumann setting of Billing's "When Jesus Wept". Dr. Cohen has authored two books: The Original Concerto for Saxophone by Ingolf Dahl and The Altissimo Primer, a specialized technique book.
Dr. Cohen holds an MM and DMA degree from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Galan Kral, Joe Allard, and Sigurd Rascher. He has published more than one hundred articles on the history and literature of the saxophone worldwide Recent CDs include American Landscapes, (American music), Common Ground (chamber music), Heard Again for the First Time (featuring the first recording of the original Dahl Concerto), Soprano Summit (soprano saxophone). and most recently, Center Chamber, featuring the Connosax.
Dr. Cohen is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, NYU and the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
John J. Palatucci
February 4, 2024
John Palatucci is a performing musician on euphonium and trombone. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education, a Master of Arts in music performance and Music Education from Montclair State College of New Jersey.
A professional musician since 1978, Mr. Palatucci made his New York City solo debut in 1983 with the Mark Heter Brass Band. He became the euphonium soloist of the famous Goldman Memorial Band in 1986, making his Lincoln Center solo debut with this ensemble. Included among his many solo engagements are Connecticut’s Hartford Symphony, the Ridgewood Concert Band (NJ), the Missouri Brass Consortium, the American Chamber Orchestra of NYC, the Garden State Symphonic Band and the Montclair NJ Citadel Band of the Salvation Army. He has toured as principal euphonium and soloist with Keith Brion's New Sousa Band. In 1992 he performed at the Sousa Band Centennial playing The Voice Of The Departing Soul, a work for solo euphonium and band, the first piece ever played by the Sousa Band. He toured the French Riviera as a featured soloist with the Ridgewood Concert Band. Mr. Palatucci’s recordings can be heard over WFME, WQXR, Sirius XM radio and has recorded for Delos Records International, the Educational Testing Service, Koch Records, the Musical Heritage Society and the for the US Merchant Marine Academy. From 1990 to 2023, he was music director of the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus of Ridgewood, NJ with which he made his Lincoln Center conducting debut in 2005 and at Carnegie Recital Hall in 2013.
Mr. Palatucci has appeared in both recital and concert with the New York Philharmonic's former principal trumpet Philip Smith, principal trombone Joseph Alessi, former West Point Band euphonium soloist Jason Ham, jazz euphoniumist John Allred and the late tuba virtuoso Harvey Phillips.
His orchestral engagements include the American Ballet Theater, the Ars Musica Chorus and Orchestra, the New Jersey Pops, the New Jersey State Opera, the North Jersey Philharmonic, the Summit Symphony, and the New Jersey Guild of Composers.
Mr. Palatucci’s recent solo and guest conducting appearances include the Caramoor Music Festival, the Tarrytown Music Hall with the Westchester Symphonic Winds, as well as the Toms River Municipal Band, the Mark Heter Band, the Central Jersey Wind Ensemble, the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble, the Bloomfield Civic and Youth Bands, the Rockland County Community Band, and the 89th NY (National) Guard Band at Yankee Stadium.
