Short biography
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Edward Cohen has established himself as one of the most versatile and in-demand pianists in Scotland. Equally at home as a concerto soloist, recitalist, or chamber musician, he regularly collaborates with leading musicians in major performance venues and festivals in his home country and beyond.
In concert, Edward has performed under the baton of Ryan Bancroft, Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Neeme Järvi, and Yan Pascal Tortelier, amongst others. His recent concerto appearances have featured works by Beethoven, de Falla, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and Strauss.
As the pianist for the choruses of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Edward works closely with prominent conductors, including Sir Andrew Davis, Tan Dun, Kristjan Järvi, Peter Oundjian, and Thomas Søndergård. Other renowned choirs he has collaborated with recently include the Edinburgh Festival Chorus with Martyn Brabbins, Gustavo Dudamel, and Daniel Harding, the National Youth Choir of Scotland with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus with Richard Egarr and Emmanuel Krivine. Edward has also played for masterclasses given by Nicola Benedetti, Karen Cargill, Malcolm Martineau, János Starker, and David Watkin.
Beyond Europe, Edward's recital activity has taken him to India, Russia, the Far East, and across the USA, including a solo performance for HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has appeared as a soloist, in chamber ensembles, and with mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison at the BBC Proms. His playing has been heard extensively around the globe, most recently at Eurovision Young Musicians, which was broadcast live on television and radio worldwide.
Edward frequently performs with the Artisan Trio, Daniel's Beard, flautist Katherine Bryan, clarinettist Jean Johnson, and Saanjh, with whom he won Chamber Music Scotland’s Underrepresented Composers Tour. He regularly appears in the RSNO Chamber Series, and additional recent Scottish engagements included at the Cumnock Tryst, Westbourne Music, and the University of Glasgow recital series.
Edward learned with some of the world's finest pianists, including Kathryn Stott, Yevgeny Sudbin, and André Watts. He began his studies at London's Royal College of Music when he was ten, and is a first-class, prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. He is also an alumnus of Indiana University and the Lucerne Festival Academy.
Edward holds two Master of Music degrees with Distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he earned top awards in solo and chamber music performance, including the prestigious Governors’ Recital Prize. Currently, he maintains positions as School of Music Manager and Lecturer there, while also teaching at the University of Glasgow and delivering masterclasses in higher education institutions at home and abroad.
Full biography
Edward Cohen has established himself as one of the most versatile and in-demand pianists in Scotland. Equally at home as a concerto soloist, recitalist, or chamber musician, he regularly collaborates with leading musicians in major performance venues and festivals in his home country and beyond.
In concert, Edward has performed under the baton of conductors including Ryan Bancroft, Pierre Boulez, David Danzmayr, Hilary Davan Wetton, Peter Eötvös, Kerem Hasan, Neeme Järvi, Clement Power, and Yan Pascal Tortelier, amongst others. Recent concerto engagements have included Richard Strauss’ ‘Burleske’ with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Ludwig van Beethoven’s ‘Choral Fantasy’ with the Edinburgh Pro Musica Orchestra and Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, Sergei Rachmaninov’s Concerto no. 2 with the City of Carlisle Orchestra, Manuel de Falla’s Harpsichord Concerto with the Lucerne Festival Academy Ensemble, and Dmitri Shostakovich's Concerto no. 2 with the Glasgow Orchestral Society.
Edward is the pianist for the choruses of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, where he works closely with prominent conductors, including Sir Andrew Davis, Kristjan Järvi, Peter Oundjian, Cristian Măcelaru, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and Thomas Søndergård. He has also worked with renowned choirs such as the Edinburgh Festival Chorus with Martyn Brabbins, Gustavo Dudamel, and Daniel Harding, the National Youth Choir of Scotland with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus with Richard Egarr and Emmanuel Krivine. Additionally, Edward has played for masterclasses given by Nicola Benedetti, Ian Bousfield, Karen Cargill, Antony Hermus, Jonathan Heyward, Malcolm Martineau, János Starker, Ilan Volkov, David Watkin, and Mark Wigglesworth. He has been an official accompanist for Aberdeen International, Ayrshire, Edinburgh International, and Glasgow Festivals, as well as the professional orchestras of Scotland’s central belt.
Beyond his native Europe, Edward's recital activity has taken him to India, Russia, the Far East, and across the USA, including a solo performance for HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has made numerous appearances at the BBC Proms as a soloist, in chamber ensembles, and with Cardiff Singer of the World mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison.
Edward's playing has been broadcast extensively around the globe, most recently at the Eurovision Young Musicians competition produced by BBC Arts Digital and Radio 3, reaching television audiences worldwide.
A passionate chamber musician, Edward has closely collaborated with leading ensembles, including the Brodsky Quartet and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He has performed with the Artisan and Beinn Artair Trios, the Barony and Red Note Ensembles, Daniel's Beard, Opera Alba, flautist Katherine Bryan, clarinettist Jean Johnson, and Saanjh, with whom he won Chamber Music Scotland’s Underrepresented Composers Tour. He recently returned twice to the RSNO Chamber Series, with additional Scottish appearances at the Cumnock Tryst, Westbourne Music, and the University of Glasgow lunchtime series. Internationally, he was invited back to perform at the Equinox Chamber Music Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, following a successful debut in April 2019.
Edward counts some of the world’s finest pianists and pedagogues amongst his teachers, including Norman Beedie, Arnaldo Cohen, Rolf Hind, Hideki Nagano, Aaron Shorr, Kathryn Stott, Yevgeny Sudbin, Martino Tirimo, André Watts, and Lilya Zilberstein. He collaborates frequently with leading composers and has worked with Sally Beamish, Pierre Boulez, Gary Carpenter, James Dillon, Tan Dun, Michael Jarrell, Elena Langer, Philippe Manoury, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Charlotte Seither, Elliott Schwartz, and Judith Weir, amongst others. He has given many world premieres of his own compositions and works by composers including Rory Boyle, Nicholas Olsen, Jim Perkins, Lenny Sayers, John Stringer, and Harry Whalley. He has also recorded hundreds of new compositions, which have been released across numerous record labels.
Edward began his studies at the Royal College of Music when he was ten and is a first-class graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he was a prize-winning student. Additionally, he has studied at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music and is an alumnus of the Lucerne Festival Academy. Edward holds two Master of Music degrees with Distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. During his studies, he won the conservatoire’s most prestigious prizes in both solo and chamber music performance, including the Governors’ Keyboard Recital Prize and the Piano Accompaniment Prize, amongst numerous other successes. He was supported by a full scholarship and a Musicians Benevolent Fund award. Currently, he maintains positions as School of Music Manager and Lecturer there, teaching solo and collaborative piano and performing regularly with students in both the senior and junior departments. Furthermore, he is a principal study piano teacher at the University of Glasgow and delivers masterclasses in higher education institutions at home and abroad. In addition, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish International Piano Competition and is a trustee of Westbourne Music, roles that bring together multiple strands of his professional life.