Raymond Cohen
Great BritainBiography of Raymond Cohen
Raymond Cohen was a British violinist who studied at the Manchester College of Music under Henry Holst. At the age of 15, he was accepted into the Hallé Orchestra, becoming the youngest member in the history of the ensemble. Cohen began performing with the orchestra both as a member and as a soloist, but with the start of World War II, he joined the army and played the clarinet in a military band for six years, while still practicing as a violinist.
After being demobilized in 1945, Cohen won the first Carl Flesch Violin Competition. He served as the concertmaster of the Goldsbrough Orchestra for a period of time and performed with other leading orchestras in the United Kingdom. From 1960 to 1966, he held the position of concertmaster in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Together with his wife, pianist Anthya Rael, Cohen recorded all of Ludwig van Beethoven's sonatas for violin and piano. Their son, Robert Cohen, followed in their musical footsteps and became a cellist.
