Edward Cohen
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 Eotvos, Neeme Jarvi, 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 Jarvi, Peter Oundjian, and Thomas Sondergard. 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 accompanied masterclasses given by Nicola Benedetti, Karen Cargill, Malcolm Martineau, Janos 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 performance for HM The Queen. 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 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 Andre 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, Lecturer in Accompaniment, and MMus Piano for Dance Coordinator there, while also teaching at the University of Glasgow and delivering masterclasses in higher education institutions at home and abroad.
Furthermore, he is Chief Executive Officer at the Scottish International Piano Competition, which brings multiple strands of his working life together.