Matthew Cohen

American violist Matthew Cohen was born in Santa Monica, California and grew up in Portland, Oregon. He began playing the viola at age eight, following two years of violin study. Matthew has performed solo recitals on both coasts of the United States and has performed publicly throughout North America and Europe. He made his Carnegie Hall debut 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, a work performed and commissioned by the Portland Youth Philharmonic. He returned to Carnegie Hall in January to perform York Bowen’s Phantasy for viola and piano in Weill Recital Hall. Matthew has attended such prestigious institutions as the Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Colburn Conservatory of Music and attained the distinctions of Bachelor of Music and Artist Diploma. He has been featured as a soloist numerous times with ensembles such as the Colburn Orchestra, Oregon Sinfonietta, and Oregon Symphony/Oregon Ballet Theater. He has performed chamber music alongside many distinguished artists including Arnold Steinhardt, Daniel Hope, James Buswell, Alexander Treger, Grigory Kalinovsky, Paul Coletti, Ronald Leonard, Clive Greensmith, Martin Beaver, Amit Peled, Sandra Rivers, Norman Krieger, Joaquin Valdepeñas, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Robert Davidovicci and Michele Zukovsky. In summer 2015, he was a guest artist with Camerata Pacifica on their southern California tour performing all six Brandenburg Concerti of J.S. Bach. He has appeared at many summer festivals including the Sarasota Music Festival, Perlman Music Program, Heifetz International Music Institute, the Meadowmount School for Strings, Pinchas Zukerman’s Young Artist Programme in Ottawa, Canada and Music Academy of the West. Matthew has distinguished himself in numerous local, national and international competitions, most recently winning first prize at the 2015 Vivo International Music Competition and as a special prizewinner at the 2014 Primrose International Viola Competition. He has held the position of principal viola with the American Youth Symphony, the Young Musician’s Foundation Debut Orchestra, the Colburn Orchestra, and the Juilliard Orchestra. Additional orchestral activities include performances as guest principal with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Lexington Bach Festival orchestras, as a substitute with the Oregon Symphony and regular performances with the New York Philharmonic. His recording of York Bowen’s Phantasy for viola and piano with acclaimed pianist Vivian Fan is available on the Soundset label. His former teachers have included Paul Coletti, Misha Amory, and Jeffrey Irvine. He plays on a viola by Helmuth Keller and a bow by Paul Martin Siefried generously on loan from The Maestro Foundation. Matthew is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School in the Master of Music program where he studies with Heidi Castleman and Cynthia Phelps. Official Facebook page of violist Matthew Cohen