We’re pleased to announce the addition of composer Steven Mark Kohn to the E. C. Schirmer catalog. Kohn is known particularly for his American Folk Song arrangements, which were premiered by David Daniels and Martin Katz in 2002 at Carnegie Hall. Since then, they have been performed in festivals and on recitals across North America and Europe, and appeared on the NPR series “Song of America.” The songs reside in many university music libraries and continue to be featured on professional concerts and university recitals worldwide.
“Ten Thousand Miles Away,” from American Folk Settings
“Something in the Paper,” from Three Impudent Arias
Recent reviews of Kohn’s works include:
The final set consisted of four marvelous American folk-song settings by Steven Mark Kohn, in which quietly expressive piano parts and Daniels’ sensitivity found ways to vary the simple light words (of, say, “On the other shore”) in telling ways. – The Washington Post, 2016
Closing the program were Steven Mark Kohn’s arrangements of folk songs, delivering some of the most touching moments in the entire evening….seemed to speak to Brits and North Americans alike. – Schmopera review of David Daniels and Martin Katz performance in London, 2017
More on Steven Mark Kohn
Steven Mark Kohn has worn several different creative hats. As a composer, he has written music for a number of award-winning children’s films, including Frog and Toad Together, Uncle Elephant, Cousin Kevin, Morris Goes to School, Commander Toad in Space, Ralph S. Mouse and the Emmy-nominated Runaway Ralph starring Fred Savage and Ray Walston. He has composed and arranged commercial music for Wheaties, Arby’s, Volvo, Hickory Farms, TRW, BP, Stanley Steemer, Matrix and many others. His music can be heard nationally on NPR for the Sylvia Rimm Show and on the Time-Warner audio book series “Health Journeys”, which has sold nearly two million copies worldwide. His “Hymn for String Orchestra” (publ. by Carl Fischer) has been recorded by the San Jose Chamber Orchestra and Classical Vocal Repertoire publishes his many art songs. His three volumes of American Folk Song arrangements were premiered in Carnegie Hall by David Daniels and Martin Katz and have been performed all over the world by a number of artists. Andrew Garland and Donna Loewy recorded the entire set for Azica Records. He has co-written and directed the short films Bugfeast, Lord J’s Wild West Daredevil Show and How’s My Driving?, which have been screened at festivals around the country and in Europe. For the theater, he created lyrics for the musicals The Quiltmaker’s Gift (Dramatic Publishing), Unstoppable Me, Little Mozart and the opera The Tale of the Nutcracker, all to the music of Craig Bohmler. His Mary Chesnut; a Civil War Diary was written for soprano Jennifer Larmore and his short story The Professor’s Diary appeared in National Lampoon magazine. He recently completed the libretto for the grand opera Riders of the Purple Sage (music by Mr. Bohmler), which was premiered by Arizona Opera in February of 2017. He currently serves on the composition faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music as Director of the Electronic Music Studio.
Availability
Kohn’s works are currently available through Classical Vocal Reprints. They will be in production at E. C. Schirmer in summer of 2018.
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