Frequently noted by critics for his creative programming and bold interpretations, founding PCO Music Director Maestro Lawrence Kohl was awarded special recognition in 2016 by the Cultural Arts Commission of Contra Costa County for his contribution to the arts. Kohl’s creative work led to the marketing firm AKQA receiving a Silver Lion award from the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Kohl was chosen to premier a new work for the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations held at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Awarded the UCLA Music Department’s first University Chancellor Fellowship, Kohl did his doctoral work in Systematic Musicology while also holding the position of Conducting Teaching Associate under Samuel Krachmalnick, Leonard Bernstein’s chosen conductor of his original Broadway production of Candide. Kohl later also worked with Goffredo Cordietti, Arturo Toscanini’s only conducting assistant. A consummate clarinetist, Kohl has performed chamber music internationally and toured with the San Francisco Symphony.
