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, and recent concerto appearances have included works by Beethoven, de Falla, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and Strauss.
As pianist for the choruses of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Edward works closely with prominent conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Kristjan Jarvi, Peter Oundjian, and Thomas Sondergard. Other renowned choirs he has worked 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. He has accompanied masterclasses given by Nicola Benedetti, Karen Cargill, Malcolm Martineau, and Janos Starker.
Beyond Europe, recital activity has taken Edward to India, Russia, the Far East, and across the USA, including a performance for HM The Queen. At the BBC Proms, he has appeared as a soloist, in chamber ensemble, and with mezzo-soprano Catriona Morison. 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, and clarinettist Jean Johnson. He regularly appears in the RSNO Chamber Series, and additional Scottish engagements this season 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 Andre Watts. He began 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 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 won the top awards in solo and chamber music performance, including the Governors’ Recital Prize. He now maintains a position there as lecturer in accompaniment, alongside teaching at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and delivering masterclasses in higher education institutions at home and abroad.
