Joel Cohen

Joel Cohen (Warren Joel Cohen), longtime cellist, passed away unexpectedly on May 31, 2025, at his home in Ukiah. The cause of death was a heart attack. Joel, second son of Simon and Eleanor, was born October 8, 1953 in Patterson, New Jersey. His family moved to Oakland, California, where Simon served as the cantor at Temple Beth Abraham, and Eleanor later served on the faculty of Cal State East Bay (then Cal State Hayward) for several years. Joel began playing cello at age nine and studied in the 1960s and '70s with Margaret Rowell and Irene Sharp. As a member of the Oakland Youth Orchestra he established lifelong friendships with many musicians still active in the Bay Area. He studied at UC Santa Cruz and earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. He was co-principal cellist for the Oakland Symphony from 1979 to 1985 and a member of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra from 1985 to 1990. While living in Europe he also performed with the Austrian Radio Symphony, Wiener Kammeroper, and Johann Strauss Festival Orchestra, the latter with whom he toured Europe and Japan over an eight-year period. After moving back to the U.S. he settled in Framingham, Massachusetts, and performed with several groups in the Boston area, including the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestra. He was also active with the New Directions Cello Festival.

Joel was the founding cellist of Quartet San Francisco in 2000 and received two Grammy nominations for recordings with them in 2007 and 2008. He moved back to California in 2007 and for the next 18 years he played in many Bay Area ensembles, including Philharmonia, Echo Chamber Orchestra, Rubicon, Cantabile, and Quantam. He was involved in Alasdair Fraser's Sierra Fiddle Camp and played with Symphony Silicon Valley and Santa Rosa Symphony. Joel taught in several educational settings, including Humboldt State University and Santa Rosa Summer Academy. He maintained an active teaching studio and was very dedicated to his cello students of all ages.

Joel made Ukiah his home in 2013, where he was a member of the Kol Ha'Emek community. He served on the board of the Ukiah Community Concert Association, volunteered as a cook for Plowshares in Ukiah, and hosted the KZYX radio program, "Music Without Borders."

Joel and Michele married in 2024 after knowing each other for over 50 years. Joel loved to garden, and as an avid cook he was famous for his chocolate truffles and big dinners. Joel and Michele loved to travel, and they saw many friends together in the U.S. and abroad over the past few years. He cherished his time with friends at poker nights and Boys Night Out. He enjoyed traveling to Oregon and Massachusetts to be with his children and grandchildren, and he was a loving father who encouraged his children to chart their own paths and ardently explore their passions. Joel was a devoted son and made frequent trips to Oakland to visit his mother. He never stopped performing, and he passed away during a weekend of playing concerts he cared about very much.

Joel is predeceased by his father, Simon Cohen, and survived by his wife, Michele Rivard; children, David (Aleyna), Hannah (Brahim), and their mother, Susanne Friedrich; grandchildren, Zoe and Nicolo; mother, Eleanor; brothers Joshua (Genevieve) and Jeremy (Andrea) and half-sister Simone; nephews, Zachary and Gabriel and their families; many cousins, and countless friends and colleagues in Ukiah, the San Francisco Bay Area, Massachusetts, and beyond.

Joel always said that the world needs good players, good students, and good listeners. As you go through life making music, or teaching music, or listening to music, do it for yourselves, your colleagues, your students, your listeners-and you will be doing it for Joel. Musical celebrations in Joel's honor are being planned for Fall 2025. In lieu of flowers, please support music education and attend live music events.

Rest in peace, beloved Music Man.