Event

Ryan Cohan Quartet

Throughout his critically acclaimed recordings as a leader and collaborator with numerous leading jazz figures and world-class ensembles, Ryan Cohan has masterfully walked the line of writer and player, proving himself time and again to be a composer of rare vision as well as a versatile, powerfully expressive pianist. Recognized for his ingenuity and virtuosity (Chicago Tribune), Cohan's expansive body of work ranges from compositions for solo piano to symphony orchestra. His albums of original music include One Sky, Another Look, and The River, the latter featuring a sixty-minute suite inspired by his travels in Africa. His large-ensemble recording Originations (Origin Records) synthesizes Middle Eastern and other world music influences with classical compositional elements and improvisation, earning a DownBeat Editors Pick and recognition as one of the Chicago Tribune's Best Jazz Recordings of 2020. His latest project, Prism, had its world premiere at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in late 2025. Cohan has toured internationally as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, leading ensembles across Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. These tours emphasized collaboration with local musicians and the role of music in fostering empathy and connection across cultures. His career includes performances with jazz luminaries and elite large ensembles such as Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker, Joe Locke, Kurt Elling, Andy Narell, Paquito D'Rivera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Orbert Davis's Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. Cohan worked closely with Ramsey Lewis for over seven years, contributing more than twenty compositions and arrangements to the late NEA Jazz Masters recorded and live performance repertoire and writing the theme for Lewis's nationally syndicated television series The Legends of Jazz. Additional projects include orchestral work for Joe Locke's recording Wish Upon a Star and commissions for the Scottish N.