World-renowned cellist and conductor David Cohen brings together a unique combination of qualities that make him one of today’s most versatile and exciting musicians. His extraordinary instrumental mastery, generous musicianship, vast experience in varied repertoires and exuberant charisma have won him international acclaim.
Highlights of the 2024-2025 season include David’s performance as conductor with the PHION Orchestra in the Netherlands and his performance of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto at the Barbican Centre, together with the London Symphony Orchestra and Antonio Pappano.
Born in Tournai, Belgium, David made his solo debut with the Belgian National Orchestra at the age of nine. His international career as a soloist quickly flourished, taking him to perform with top orchestras such as the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Orchestre Symphonique de la VRT, Orchestre de la Beethoven Akademie, Orchestre National de Lille, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre Symphonique de Grenoble, Polish Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra.
In addition, David has worked as a soloist with some of the most renowned conductors, such as Lord Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Walter Weller, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Christoph von Dohnányi, Pedro Halffter and Martyn Brabbins. His solo debut in Japan with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in June 2007, made a big impact, leading to recurring collaborations in the following years.
A graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, with the support of a scholarship from the Menuhin Foundation, David has won more than 25 prizes in international cello competitions. His awards include the Guildhall School Gold Medal (like Jacqueline du Pré), the Geneva International Cello Competition, the Audi International Competition, the Douai International Cello Competition, the ‘Tenuto’ International Competition, the Guilhermina Suggia Prize, the Ian Fleming Trust, the KPMG Martin Prize, the Hattori Foundation, the Berllotti-Buitoni Fellowship Award and the Fondation SUISA. He was also named ECHO’s ‘Rising Star’ for the 2002-2003 season, a distinction awarded by the Royal Philharmonic Society of Belgium and the Concertgebouw.
David’s passion for chamber music often leads him to collaborate with top musicians at important international festivals, such as the Kronberg Festival (Germany), Manchester (UK), Cambridge (UK), Beauvais (France), Orpheus Bacchus in Bordeaux (France), Gstaad Festival (Switzerland), West Cork (Ireland), Kuhmo (Finland), Elverum (Norway), Oxford (UK) and Sonoro (Bucharest).
David is artistic director of the Melchior Ensemble, which brings together some of Europe’s finest musicians, such as Sasha Sitkovetsky, Priya Mitchell, Corine Chapelle, Silver Ainomae and Razvan Popovici. The ensemble is based in Peterhouse, Cambridge.
In March 2001, David was appointed principal cellist of the Philharmonia Orchestra, becoming the youngest to hold this position in history. In 2022, he was appointed principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra.
His award-winning discography includes recordings with Forlane, Classic FM, Cypres Records and the LPO label. These include notable performances of Lutoslawski’s cello concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sofia Gubaidulina’s cello concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
David plays on a magnificent Dominicus Montagnana cello from around 1735, generously donated by Mrs Pat Morton with the support of the Razumovsky Trust.
He is also the creator and artistic director of the Les Sons Intensifs chamber music festival, held in his hometown of Lessines (Belgium), also known for being the birthplace of the famous artist René Magritte.
As a conductor of great repute, David has performed at numerous international festivals, including the Kuhmo Festival, the Stift Festival, the ‘Con Brio’ Festival in Osnabruck, Les Sons Intensifs, the Belgrade Ensemble and the PHION Orchestra in the Netherlands. His repertoire includes works by P.M. Davis, P. Glass, Debussy, Gubaidulina, Mahler, Stravinsky and Sibelius, as well as premieres of compositions by Osvaldo Golijov and Isidora Žebeljan.
‘…David Cohen, one of the most talented young cellists I know. He was a pupil at my school for a few years and is undoubtedly a remarkable young man, an extraordinary performer.” — Lord Menuhin (1998)
