Keynote Talk with Tom Cohen

Conductor, musician, artistic and musical director and cultural entrepreneur, Tom Cohen is internationally recognised for fusing musical styles from East and West to create Levant Music – a new musical language. Classically trained and steeped in the music of North Africa and Arab countries, Cohen combines Western musicians and Arabic instrument virtuosi to bring Levant Music to orchestras and ensembles as diverse as the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and the orchestras he’s founded in Israel, Morocco, Belgium and Canada.

In his talk in Sarajevo, Tom will present the artistic vision that guides him in writing the music for the Jerusalem East & West Orchestra and other ensembles, and his reflections on the role that music can play in bringing different identities together in collaboration rather than in conflict.