Matthew A.C. Cohen was born in 1989 in Merrick, New York. He has earned a B.S. in Music Composition and Theory, with a special interest in film scoring, arranging, and jazz saxophone from Hofstra University, as well as an M.F.A in Music Composition for Media from Columbia College Chicago.
Matthew's music career began at age 13 when he began playing guitar in rock bands with his friends. His first bands ranged in genre, from ska to indie/alternative. At this age he also began his songwriting career when his sister, a classically trained opera singer, asked him to write the the music for her songs. They would go on to record several of these songs and work with a manager to gain exposure.
In high school, Matthew decided to pursue music full time. He quickly fell in love with jazz and began studying with saxophonist/composer Andy Middleton at age 16. After a few months, Andy accepted a job teaching music theory at the Vienna School of Music, but before he left he referred Matthew to his next teacher, Jeff Newell. Matthew did the bulk of his jazz studies in high school with Jeff, focusing mainly on improvisation and repertoire.
While still trying to figure out what areas of music he wanted to pursue, Matthew considered a degree in Jazz Studies, but didn't want to neglect his interest in composition. He eventually settled on a degree in composition, figuring that it offered the best of both worlds. He could write constantly and still continue to practice and work on his jazz studies. When he arrived at Hofstra University he began studying with saxophonist Alejandro Aviles, focusing primarily on improvisation and classical saxophone. He then began his compositional studies with Dr. Matthew Van Brink and Prof. Herb Deutsch before moving on to study with Dr. Kenneth Lampl, whom he did the bulk of his studies with.
Matthew finally realized that film scoring was the right path for him. He began focusing more and more on composition, scoring any media he could get his hands on, film, television, and video games. He still keeps his feet firmly planted in the jazz scene by constantly writing jazz combo charts, big band charts, and arrangements for both large and small jazz ensembles. Along with scoring his own films, Matthew has worked with many high profile composers on studio films, triple A game titles, and critically acclaimed TV shows.
Matthew is always looking for new films to score and commissions are always welcome.