It is with great sadness that we hear Kenneth Cox passed away in Jerusalem on February 15th, 2009. He performed in Israel for nearly thirty years as a member of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, respectively. One of his best friends, Jeffrey Lang, Associate Principal Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, shares this about Cox:

"I arrived in Israel In 1984 to play with the Israel Philharmonic. Ken and I soon became best friends and we formed a close circle of friends with other young musicians from around the world. It was a special time in all of our lives and we all have such fond memories of those days with Ken. Ken was so kind, helpful and patient in answering our endless questions about Israel, our new home. We will never forget the hours exploring Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem with our funny 24 - 7 tour guide. Ken was a beautiful human being ,but also a gifted artist. . . . Ken's sound, phrasing and spirit were unique. He could sing through the instrument like no other and we are fortunate to have some fine recordings of Ken with the Israel Philharmonic. Mahler Symphony No. 1 with the Blumine Movement, and Scherezade with Zubin Mehta conducting are are a testament to Ken's fine playing. My nephew Kyle Hoyt was also able to know Ken through their work together at the

Kenneth Cox, courtesy of Richard Berlin

Jerusalem Symphony for the past three years. Kyle writes, as a colleague at the Jerusalem Symphony, Ken always had an encouraging word to say. He always had such insightful comments about music. It was evident that the music lived in him, it was his lifeblood. As a child Kyle listened to the Israel Philharmonic recordings with Ken late into the night. Years later Kyle would have the honor to work with one of the artists who inspired him to take up a brass instrument. Ken had great sensitivity, he had exceptionally deep feelings and thoughts, these characteristics among many others made Ken a great artist. Since we all knew he was never involved in meaningless talk, whatever he was speaking about was meaningful, real and personal.Ken loved Israel and it is fitting that he spent his final days there. In Ken's honor, Kyle's wife Shoshana painted an angel blowing the trumpet on the walls of Jerusalem. That angel is known to us and his beautiful playing will always echo in the city he loved so much."

Richard Berlin, Associate Principal Trumpet of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, shares this: "Ken was a good friend and colleague and I, as others, sorely miss him. Ken's experience with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic allowed him to play under many of the world's leading conductors. Among them, Leonard Bernstein is remembered as having said the Ken was one of the best trumpet players with whom he ever worked.

At the concert following his death, the brass section played the Pavanne by Anthony Holborne in his honor. There was a chair left vacant in the trumpet section on which were a trumpet and flowers in his memory. A memorial service is to held on March 29 at 2pm at the Bay Methodist Church in Bay Village, Ohio."