Robert Cohen (cellist)

Robert Cohen (born 15 June 1959) is a British concert cellist.

Robert Cohen
Born (1959-06-15) 15 June 1959 (age 65)
London, England, UK
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Cellist, soloist, conductor, educator
InstrumentsBonjour Stradivarius, 'ex Roser' Tecchler
Labels
Websiterobertcohen.info

Early life and education

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Cohen was born on 15 June 1959 in London to violinist Raymond Cohen and pianist Anthya Rael.[1] Having begun playing the cello at age 5, at age 10 he entered the Purcell School for Young Musicians.[2] He also began studies with William Pleeth.[3][4] At age 12 he made his concerto debut at the Royal Festival Hall, where he performed the Boccherini Concerto in B flat. His Wigmore Hall recital debut followed at age 17.[5] In 1975 he began studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he graduated with a postgraduate Diploma of Advanced Solo in 1977. During this period he also studied with Jacqueline du Pré, André Navarra and Mstislav Rostropovich.[6]

Career

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In 1976 he made his recording debut with the Elgar Cello Concerto and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which went on to receive a Silver Disc for recording sales.[5] In 1984 he bought a Stradivarius cello, the Bonjour, which he kept until 1993.

He has been invited to perform concertos by conductors Claudio Abbado, Antal Dorati, Sir Mark Elder, Mariss Jansons, Sir Charles Mackerras, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti, Sir Roger Norrington, Tadaaki Otaka, Sir Simon Rattle, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Michael Tilson-Thomas and Osmo Vanska. He has notably collaborated in chamber music with Yehudi Menuhin, Amadeus Quartet, Menahem Pressler, Leonidas Kavakos and Krystian Zimerman and with his regular duo partner pianist Heini Karkkainen.[7]

From 2000 to 2012 Cohen was Professor of Advanced Solo Studies at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano. In 2010 he became a professor at the Royal Academy of Music.[7] He gives masterclasses internationally and lectures on music preparation and performance techniques.

In 1989 he became artistic director of the Charleston Manor Festival.[8] The final festival took place in the summer of 2012.

Cohen was the cellist of the Fine Arts Quartet from October 2011 until January 2018.[9]

Composer Sally Beamish has dedicated two works to Cohen, the cello concertos 'River' (1997), inspired by the eponymous 1983 anthology by Ted Hughes, and 'Song Gatherer' (2009).[10]

In 2000 he directed a series on Les Six as part of the City of London Festival.[11]

In 2014 he created the ongoing monthly programme ‘On That Note’ with Milwaukee Public Radio (NPR), which discusses the life of a working classical musician.[12]

In 2020 he became an Ambassador of the Tim Henman Foundation.[13]

Personal life

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Married in 1987, Cohen lives with his wife in London. They have four sons.

Awards

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  • Suggia Prize for potential soloists - annually 1967-1971.[14]
  • Piatigorsky Prize, Tanglewood 1978.[5]
  • Winner of Young Concert Artists, New York 1978.[15]
  • Winner of Unesco International Competition, Czechoslovakia 1981.[16]
  • Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (HonRAM) in 2009.[17]
  • Robert Helpmann Award, Australia 2005 - performing Brett Dean's 12 Angry Cellos.[18]

Discography

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Year Title Label
1978 Elgar Cello Concerto - London Philharmonic / Del Mar EMI / Classics for Pleasure
1979 With pianist Roger Vignoles: CRD Records
1980 Dvorak complete Piano Trios - Cohen Trio

Dvorak Rondo in G minor Op.94

CRD Records
1981 Dvorak Cello Concerto - London Philharmonic / Macal EMI / Classics for Pleasure
1981 Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme - London Philharmonic / Macal EMI / Classics for Pleasure
1983 Virtuoso Cello Music - with pianist Geoffrey Parsons: EMI
1985 Beethoven Triple Concerto with Zimmerman and Manz - English Chamber Orchestra / Saraste EMI / Classics for Pleasure
1986 Schubert String Quintet - Amadeus Quartet Deutsche Grammophon
1986 Rodrigo Concierto en modo Galante - London Symphony Orchestra / Batiz EMI
1990 JS Bach complete Solo Suites Collins Classics
1990 Howard Blake Cello Concerto 'Diversions' - Philharmonia Orchestra / Blake Sony / Columbia
1992 Elgar Cello Concerto - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Mackerras Decca Records
1993 Bliss Concerto - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Wordsworth Decca Records
1993 Dvorak Piano Quintet Op.81

Dvorak Rondo in G minor Op.94

Verdi Records
1993 Walton Cello Concerto - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Litton Decca Records
1994 Britten complete Solo Suites Decca Records
1995 Tchaikovsky Sextet Souvenir de Florence - Endellion Quartet w. Tim Boulton CRD Records
1995 Morton Feldman Cello Concerto - New World Symphony / Tilson-Thomas Decca Records
1998 Sally Beamish Cello Concerto No.1 - Swedish Chamber Orchestra / Rudner BIS
2002 HK Gruber Cello Concerto - Swedish Chamber Orchestra / Gruber BIS
2009 Durufle Requiem - Vasari singers / Backhouse, Sarah Connolly, Christopher Maltman and Jeremy Filsell Signum Records
2012 Saint-Saens Piano Quartet, Piano Quintet and Barcarolle - Fine Arts Quartet, Ortiz Naxos
2013 Lutoslawski Cello Concerto - Sinfonia Varsovia / Maksymiuk BeArton
2014 Mozart Piano Concertos 20, 21 arr. Lachner - Fine Arts Quartet, Goldstein Naxos
2013 Bernard Herrmann, Souvenir de Voyage - Fine Arts Quartet, Lethiec Naxos
2015 David Del Tredici, Magyar Madness - Fine Arts Quartet, Lethiec Naxos
2017 Mozart Piano Concertos 23, 24 arr. Lachner - Fine Arts Quartet, Goldstein Naxos

References

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  1. ^ "Raymond Cohen". The Telegraph. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Alumni". Purcell School. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. ^ Elizabeth Wilson (1999). Jacqueline du Pré: Her Life, Her Music, Her Legend. Arcade Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-55970-490-8.
  4. ^ Potter, Tully (7 April 1999). "Gentleman cellist". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Margaret Campbell (2004). The Great Cellists. Robson. pp. 244–245. ISBN 978-1-86105-654-2.
  6. ^ Milsom, David. "Naxos - Robert Cohen". Naxos Music.
  7. ^ a b "Staff - Robert Cohen - Royal Academy of Music". www.ram.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Charleston Manor Festival". www.classical-music.com. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Membership History". Fine Arts Quartet. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Sally Beamish". www.sallybeamish.com. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Six of the best". The Guardian. 16 June 2000. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  12. ^ "On That Note | WUWM". wuwm.com. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  13. ^ Tim Henman Foundation
  14. ^ Campbell, Margaret (1 January 2001). Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42218. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
  15. ^ "Young Concert Artists". www.yca.org. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  16. ^ "BHS – festival mladých | Bratislavské hudobné slávnosti". Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Honorary Members - Royal Academy of Music". www.ram.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Past nominees and winners | Helpmann Awards". www.helpmannawards.com.au. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
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