Zachary Cohen Premieres Deak’s Bass Concerto

Step into the SPCO Sandbox for the world premiere of an imaginative fairytale in the form of a concerto for double bass! Developed over the course of two seasons for his Sandbox Composer Residency, Jon Deak’s newest work, Under a Spell, invites listeners on a whimsical journey performed by Principal Bass Zachary Cohen and guided by narrator Bill Gordh. As the former Associate Principal Bass of the New York Philharmonic and “a composer-performer who has learned to make stringed instruments ‘talk’” (The Washington Post), Deak brings a lifelong familiarity of the instrument to his music and teachings.

Under a Spell was commissioned by Linda Hoeschler and Peter Blyberg for The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in honor of the artistry and artistic leadership of Kyu-Young Kim.

SPCO Sandbox Composer Residencies are made possible with generous project support from: Amphion Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, David and Karen Olson Family Foundation, Justus and Elizabeth Schlichting, Nara Fund, New Music USA. Learn more at thespco.org/sandbox.