Author, composer, and music publisher Arthur Cohn (1910-1998) was a proponent of twentieth century chamber music. The chamber music scores in this collection, many by American composers, were compiled and donated by Cohn.

Menachem Zur (born 1942) is an Israeli composer who studied at Mannes College of Music (now, Mannes School of Music), and Columbia University. His compositions are influenced by modernism, post-tonal music, and set theory, as well as traditional Jewish music. The collection includes various chamber music scores by Zur, mostly in photocopy form, as well as a recording of several of his compositions.