David Cohen
cello

David Cohen has established a reputation as one of the most successful and charismatic young cellists of today. At the age of ten he made his solo debut with the Orchestre National de Belgique and since then has performed with many leading orchestras including the St Petersburg Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Orchestre Philharmonique de Belgique, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Suisse Romande Orchestra, Polish Philharmonic, Symphonia of Warsaw, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Ankara Chamber Orchestra and Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Turkey.  He has worked as soloist with some of the world’s most distinguished musicians and conductors including Lord Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Christoph von Dohnányi, Walter Weller, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Pedro Halffter and Martyn Brabbins.  His debut in Japan performing Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy led to an immediate re-invitation to play Dvořák Concerto.   In 2022 he became Principal Cello with the London Symphony Orchestra and in December 2024 he performed Elgar Concerto with the LSO under Sir Antonio Pappano at the Barbican Concert Hall.

He has won more than 25 International prizes and awards, including first prize at the Audi International Competition in 1995 and the International Cello Competition in Douai. He has also received awards from the Ian Fleming Charitable Trust for “extremely talented musicians,” Fondation pour la Vocation (1999), Hattori Foundation for Young Musicians and the Fondation SPES (1999), the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund winner in both 2000 and 2001 and The Berlotti Buitoni Fellowship Award in 2004.

After graduating from the Yehudi Menuhin School, he continued his studies at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where for six years he was a student of Oleg Kogan. He won the prestigious Gold Medal and in 2002 he became the Royal Philharmonic Society of Belgium “Rising Star”, performing recitals in leading concert halls including Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.  In March 2001 David Cohen was appointed Principal Cello of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London – the youngest Philharmonia Principal ever – a position which he held until summer 2009.

David Cohen is a passionate chamber musician performing regularly in major festivals with the finest musicians in Europe. He is regularly invited to international cello and chamber music festivals.  He has commission works including The Little Spanish Prison by Ian Wilson which he premiered at the Wigmore Hall; Katharsis for cello and ensemble by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, premiered at the Spitalfields Festival and also recorded; Little Blu for solo cello by Gordon Crosse premiered during a series of concerts he curated for Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music and Gursky Landscapes for solo cello and string quartet by Gavin Higgins; the world premiere was given at the Cheltenham Festival and has been recorded by Nimbus Records.

He has recorded for Classic FM, Cypres-Records and the London Philharmonic Orchestra Label and broadcasts include the Lutoslawski Cello Concerto with the Philharmonia and Sofia Gubaidulina’s Seven Last Words for Cello, Bayan and Strings with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.  He has recorded Lalo Cello Concerto with Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège.

He is Artistic Director of the Melchior Ensemble and the founder and Artistic Director of the chamber music festival Les Sons Intensifs in Lessines, Belgium.  He is a professor at the Conservatoir Royal de Musique de Mons in Belgium, and at Trinity Laban in London.

David Cohen plays on a magnificent Domenico Montagnana cello c.1735 thanks to the kindness and tremendous generosity of Patricia Morton and help from the Razumovsky Trust.