Amy Kohn
{{Short description|American musician (born 1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Amy Kohn
| image = Amy_Kohn_live_at_Galapagos_Art_Space_2009.jpg
| caption = Amy Kohn on accordion during a performance of the Amy Kohn Band at Galapagos Art Space in New York City (January 2009).
| image_size = 220
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|06|05}}
| death_date =
| origin = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| instrument = Piano, accordion, vocals
| genre =
| occupation =
| years_active = 1998–present
| label = NuNoise Records, Amymusic
| associated_acts =
| website = [http://www.amykohn.com/ www.amykohn.com]
| current_members =
| past_members =
}}
Amy Kohn (born June 5, 1972) is an American composer, lyricist, singer, pianist, and accordionist.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, she studied at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music in Ohio and New York University Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program. The final thesis for her master's degree was her chamber-opera 1 Plum Sq, which was later produced and broadcast in 2005 on WNYC as part of their American Music Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.wnyc.org/shows/spinning/episodes/2005/07/08 |title=WNYC - Spinning on Air: Amy Kohn's radio opera "1 Plum Sq." (July 08, 2005) |accessdate=December 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109004556/http://www.wnyc.org/shows/spinning/episodes/2005/07/08 |archivedate=January 9, 2009 }} Amy Kohn's radio opera "1 Plum Sq." on WNYC
Career
In New York City Amy Kohn met the legendary producer Arif Mardin who dubbed her a "Musical Devil in a Red Dress" and chose Amy as a featured singer and accordionist on his last effort: an album of songs written by Mardin himself and produced in the last year of his life. Also featured on this album are artists such as Norah Jones, Phil Collins, Raul Midón and Dianne Reeves.{{Cite web |url=http://jazztimes.com/sections/hearingvoices/articles/26176-mardin-magic-a-tribute-to-producer-arif-mardin |title=JazzTimes – Mardin Magic: A Tribute to Producer Arif Mardin |access-date=June 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329055119/http://jazztimes.com/sections/hearingvoices/articles/26176-mardin-magic-a-tribute-to-producer-arif-mardin |archive-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=dead }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20111001080833/http://www.euroinvestor.co.uk/news/story.aspx?id=10881532 "All My Friends Are Here" Last Recording by Producer Arif Mardin]
She co-produced her album I’m in Crinoline (2006) with Arif's son Joe Mardin of NuNoise Records.
She lives in New York where she is the leader of her 7-piece band (the Amy Kohn Band).
Outside of the United States she has performed her music in European festivals (such as the Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, Woma Jazz and UBI Jazz{{cite web|url=http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id%3D970 |title=Jazz News: Ubi Jazz 2007 - Jazz di Donne - 6 giu.-27 lug |accessdate=December 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707113429/http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=970 |archivedate=July 7, 2011 }} in Italy and Festival of Performing Arts{{cite web|url=http://www.kulturban.hr/fopa08/index.php?page%3Dartists%26lang%3Den%26aid%3D23 |title=FoPA - Festival of Performing Arts |accessdate=December 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721101016/http://www.kulturban.hr/fopa08/index.php?page=artists&lang=en&aid=23 |archivedate=July 21, 2011 }} in Pula, Croatia) and in tandem with the Italian pianist and singer Debora Petrina in the project Naked (NienteAltroKEDonne).
Her music was also transmitted on many European radio stations (such as the UK's BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Musichttps://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone/tracklisting_20090802.shtml Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone, August 2, 2009, BBC Radio and Resonance FM and Concertzender in the Netherlands).
She has worked on commissions from the string quartet Ethel of New York City, for pianist Guy Livingston (DVD: One Minute More) and for the children's theater company I Fantaghiròhttp://www.fantaghiro.org/?cmd=musiche Music for "Il Brutto Anatroccolo" (The Ugly Duckling) for I Fantaghirò (Padua, Italy) of Padua, Italy.
Discography
=Albums=
- The Glass Laughs Back (1999)
- I’m in Crinoline (2006)
- PlexiLusso (2014)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.amykohn.com Amy Kohn's official website]
- [http://amykohn.bandcamp.com Amy Kohn in Bandcamp]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109004556/http://www.wnyc.org/shows/spinning/episodes/2005/07/08 Amy Kohn's Radio Opera "1 Plum Sq."] on WNYC website
- [https://www.wired.com/2014/09/custom-typeface-isnt-perfectly-legible-thats-point/ Article on Amy Kohn's PlexiLusso album design] by Non-Format on Wired.com
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Category:21st-century American composers
Category:American women pianists
Category:American women accordionists
Category:Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni
Category:Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni
Category:21st-century American accordionists
Category:21st-century American singers
Category:21st-century American women singers
Category:21st-century American pianists
Category:20th-century American composers
Category:20th-century American accordionists
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:20th-century American pianists
Category:20th-century American women singers