HAVERHILL — A “trailblazing” musician whose work revived centuries-old music for modern audiences died at his Haverhill home last week.
Joel Cohen, 84, of Haverhill, died on July 26 in Haverhill. He was the longtime artist director of The Boston Camerata and an internationally recognized musician, conductor, composer and musicologist.
The Boston Camerata announced his death last week, describing Cohen as a “charismatic leader” whose presence helped establish the ensemble as one of the world’s leading early music organizations.
Cohen directed The Boston Camerata from 1963 to 2008. During his time there, his many talents for the art of music, along with his unique programming style, brought fame to the ensemble throughout the United States as well as Europe and Asia.
Throughout his career, Cohen championed the performance of early music with “historically informed practices.” His work helped bring Medieval and Renaissance music to wider audiences while developing new approaches to the performance of Medieval French, Provençal and Iberian monody with attention to the relationship between text and music.
Early on, Cohen contributed to the rediscovery of early American musical source material, according to his obituary.
A skilled lutenist, or musician who plays the lute, Cohen took the stage beside many artists in his career, including Hugues Cuénod, Christiane Jacottet and Anne Azéma, his longtime partner and collaborator.
He also appeared as a guest conductor at La Monnaie in Belgium, France and other parts of Europe.
In 2004, Cohen collaborated with Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen to create the dance production “Borrowed Light” that featured Shaker music. The production toured extensively throughout Europe, Oceania and the United States.
In recent seasons, Cohen served as narrator for several Boston Camerata productions, including “The Night’s Tale,” “Le Voir-Dit,” “City of Fools” and “Tristan & Iseult.”
Cohen released more than 50 recordings on the Erato, Nonesuch and Harmonia Mundi labels. He also worked as a lecturer and commentator for French and American radio and television.
His passion for music was matched by a deep interest in discovering and collecting early prints and drawings in his later years.
The Haverhill musician accepted an abundance of awards during his illustrious career, including the Erwin Bodky Award, the Harvard University Signet Society Medal, the Howard Mayer Brown Award for Lifetime Achievement in Early Music, the Georges Longy Award and recognition from the American Critics’ Circle.
“In his trailblazing and pioneer work, Joel Cohen helped create a field and joyfully opened paths for several generations of musicians,” Azéma wrote.
The Boston Camerata said a memorial service honoring Cohen will be announced at a later date.