Matthew Cohen
Ukrainian-American violist Matthew Cohen is a dynamic and versatile artist whose captivating performances have made him one of the most sought-after violists of his generation.
Particularly interested in advocating for the viola as a solo instrument, he was a special prize winner at the prestigious Primrose International Viola Competition (the most important viola international competition in the world) and garnered top prizes at the Città di Cremona International Viola Competition in Italy, Vivo International Music Competition in New York and the Art of Duo International Competition.
Since his first performance in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium at the age of 15 as a soloist in the New York premiere of Tomas Svoboda’s Sonata No. 2 for orchestra and solo string quartet, Cohen has enjoyed an international career as a soloist with orchestras such as the Gstaad Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, I Virtuosi Italiani in Italy, The Juilliard Orchestra in New York’s Lincoln Center, Symphony in C in New Jersey, the North Shore Symphony Orchestra in New York, the Colburn Orchestra in Los Angeles, Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington, Oregon Sinfonietta and the MetroArts Inc. Orchestra in Oregon, and gave the world premiere of internationally recognized composer Garry Schyman’s viola concerto “Zingaro” with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony.
His recent and upcoming concert highlights include the Smithsonian Museum and the Bacon House in Washington, D.C., Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Ontario, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Concerts International in Memphis, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Chicago, the Dimenna Center and Bargemusic Masterworks Series in New York, Philharmonic Society Presents and Colburn Chamber Music Society in California and Taipei’s National Concert Hall. He has been featured as a guest artist at major music festivals such as Chamberfest Cleveland and Music in the Circle Cleveland, Manchester Summer Chamber Music, Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival, Heifetz International String Institute, Ravinia Festival Steans Music Institute, Maui Chamber Music Festival in Hawaii and Gstaad Menuhin Festival in Switzerland.
Cohen served as the principal violist for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and has frequently performed alongside the New York Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He is on the artist roster of CreArtBox and New Asia Chamber Music Society in New York has collaborated with many distinguished artists including members of the Beaux Arts Trio and the Borromeo, Guarneri, Orion, Parker, Tokyo, and Vermeer string quartets. His performances have been featured in radio stations as Canada National CBC Radio, WQXR New York, WRTI Philadelphia, WVTF Virginia, Texas Public Radio, Classical King FM 98.1 Seattle and WFMT Public Radio in Chicago.
He serves on the faculty for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and Texas Music Festival and has given master classes at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Temple University, Eastern Michigan University, New England Conservatory Preparatory Division and is currently the McAndless Distinguished Professor Chair at Eastern Michigan University with his quartet (Formosa) and an artist in residence at the University of Houston.
As a graduate of the Juilliard School's Master of Music program, he was the proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship with a full scholarship and stipend; he earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Cleveland Institute of Music and received an Artist Diploma from Colburn Conservatory. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Opus 71 Concerts, a multidisciplinary concert series near New York’s Lincoln Center. He plays on a viola by Peter Westerlund made in 2014.