Saxophone player, clarinetist, composer, Gabriele Coen first studied music at
the Scuola di Musica Popolare in Rome’s Testaccio quarter. Next, he
frequented several seminars at Siena Jazz and frequently interacted with
important saxophone players (Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman) to finally complete
his studies with a degree in Political Science and a diploma in saxophone
from the Morlacchi Conservatory of Perugia.
Since the mid-nineties Coen has served as founder and leader of “Kleroym,”
which is to this day the most important Italian Klezmer groups. With them, he
has become one of the greatest promoters of Jewish folk music in Europe, re-
interpreted in a jazz style.
From a family of musicians – his father Massimo Coen was one of the most
important violinists in contemporary music – Gabriele was also trained to
perform the contemporary saxophone repertoire of the string quartet, “I Solisti
di Roma” (The Roman Soloists).