Ryan Cohan Two Quartets

Saturday, September 27

TIME: 2:00pm-3:00pm

VENUE: hyde park union church. 5600 south woodlawn ave.

Ryan Cohan

This event features the premiere of Ryan’s multi-movement compositional work, Prism, written for jazz quartet and string quartet.

Prism is born from the understanding that we are not defined by a single identity or influence, but by a complex, often contradictory spectrum of experiences, beliefs, and cultures. We carry within us ideas and emotions that don’t always align—sometimes they clash—and yet it’s precisely this tension that shapes who we are. In a time when division and difference often feel like barriers, Prism invites us to embrace complexity and live alongside contrast with openness and curiosity. At its heart, the work reveals the extraordinary beauty hidden within the everyday, encouraging listeners to see beyond the surface and appreciate the subtle interplay of light and shadow in our lives. Drawing on a rich palette of inspirations—from world music traditions and classical and impressionistic forms to the improvisational freedom of modern jazz—Prism weaves these elements into a cohesive, vibrant whole. Another dimension of the work lies in how the composer’s own musical influences—sometimes seemingly disparate— are refracted through his artistic lens and interwoven into a singular sound. The instrumentation—a jazz chamber ensemble blending piano, woodwinds, acoustic bass, drums, and strings—mirrors this philosophy of coexistence and contrast. Each voice brings its own character and color, interacting in ways that highlight both individuality and unity, crafting a sonic prism through which the full spectrum of influence and expression shines. Rather than smoothing over differences, Prism celebrates them, creating a musical landscape where contrasting colors shine brighter together, offering a powerful statement about harmony, coexistence, and the transformative power of diversity. 

ABOUT RYAN COHAN

Recognized for his “ingenuity and virtuosity” (Chicago Tribune), Ryan Cohan masterfully walks the line of writer and player, proving himself time and again to be a composer of rare vision as well as a highly versatile, powerfully expressive pianist. His expansive oeuvre ranges from solo piano pieces to works for symphony orchestra and scores for independent films. 

Cohan has produced six albums of original compositions, performed at premier venues across five continents, and been selected for honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship in composition, Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Music and Sound Design Fellowship, four New Jazz Works commissioning grants from Chamber Music America and The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, New Music USA's Creator Fund Award, Sundance Institute's Interdisciplinary Grant, multiple Aaron Copland Recording Grants, a Composer Assistance Award from New Music USA, two Illinois Arts Council Fellowships, and the George Duke Commissioning Prize by the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra. 

A Chicago native, Cohan has worked with such jazz luminaries and elite large ensembles as Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker, Joe Locke, Kurt Elling, Andy Narell, Jon Faddis, Paquito D’Rivera, Gregory Porter, Jeff Hamilton, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orbert Davis’s Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and The Grant Park Symphony Orchestra with Otis Clay, among others. He also collaborated extensively with Ramsey Lewis, contributing more than twenty compositions and arrangements to the late NEA Jazz Master’s recorded and live performance repertoire.

As an educator, he has held the position of Artist-in-Residence at The Guimarães Jazz Festival in Portugal, The University of Louisville School of Music’s Jamie Aebersold Jazz Studies Program, and Purdue University; taught as a member of the music faculty at the University Of Illinois at Chicago and The Skidmore Jazz Institute in New York; and served as a teaching mentor for the Jazz Institute of Chicago. He has also worked extensively as an artist clinician at dozens of universities, high schools, and other notable music programs locally, throughout the U.S., and abroad.

Prism has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America's: New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundations.

The musicians:

Ryan Cohan - piano, compositions

John Wojciechowski - woodwinds

Lorin Cohen - acoustic bass

George Fludas - drums

KAIA String Quartet:

Victoria Moreira - violin

Naomi Culp - violin

James Kang - viola

Hope Decelle - cello