Early Music Pioneer Joel Cohen, Founder of Boston Camerata, Dies at 84

Joel Cohen, a notable musician and scholar renowned for bringing early music back to concert venues, passed away at the age of 84 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on July 26. He was born on May 29, 1942, and pursued his studies at Harvard before furthering his training in Europe, particularly in France. In 1968, he took on the role of music director for the Boston Camerata, a position he held for four decades until becoming music director emeritus in 2008. In 1990, he established Camerata Mediterranea and collaborated with soprano Anne Azéma. From 1992 onward, he partnered with the Shaker community in Maine, resulting in two albums, 'Simple Gifts' and 'The Golden Harvest.' Cohen's extensive discography includes over 50 albums, and he championed historically informed performance, greatly enhancing American audiences' appreciation for early music.