[2] He frequently writes on contemporary classical music, promoting composers such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis, Michael Gordon, Chen Yi, and Lisa Bielawa.
Other topics Kosman engages with include "orchestral management" and the pianist David Helfgott, who came into the spotlight after the movie 1996 Shine.
"[1] Kosman retired from the Chronicle in late April 2024;[3] writer Andrew Gilbert described him as "an essential component of the Bay Area’s arts ecosystem, providing pithy and cogent criticism and a form of institutional memory that can’t be replaced.
"[4] According to Kosman, “It’s been made pretty clear that there won’t be somebody hired who will [replace me as the new] classical music critic.
"[4] His writing credits span numerous other publications, including Bookforum, Gramophone, The Journal of Musicology, Opernwelt, Piano & Keyboard, Symphony, as well as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and New Grove Dictionary of Opera.