Yuval Cohen is a soprano saxophonist, composer, and bandleader known for his distinctive sound and melodic approach to jazz composition and improvisation, through which he has developed his own chamber-jazz language.
A leading figure in Israeli jazz education, Cohen has performed with internationally renowned artists including Lee Konitz, Lew Soloff, Reggie Workman, Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital, Eric Harland, Aaron Goldberg, Jason Lindner, Shai Maestro, and others.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1973, Cohen studied at the Tel Aviv Conservatory, the School of Arts, and Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts. He graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in 1996, where he received awards for outstanding achievement, and later earned a full scholarship for graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music. In 2010, he received his M.Mus in Composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Cohen’s recordings include his debut album Freedom, the acclaimed duo album Song Without Words with pianist Shai Maestro, and Hakol Zehavi, dedicated to the music of Israeli composer David Zehavi. He is also a member of the internationally active family ensemble 3 Cohens.
Among his honors are the Landau Prize for Jazz Performance and the Prime Minister’s Award for Composers in the field of jazz. Cohen teaches in the Jazz Department at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and holds senior teaching positions at leading music institutions in Israel.
