David Cohen, cello and Alissa Firsova, piano. Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov

The world-renowned cellist and conductor David Cohen embodies a unique combination of qualities making him one of the most versatile and exciting musicians of this day. He has been internationally acclaimed for his remarkable instrumental mastery, generous musicianship, vast experience in varied repertoires combined with a flamboyant charisma. Highlights of the 2024-2025 season included Davids’ appearance as a conductor with the PHION Orchestra in The Netherlands and his performance as a cellist of the Edward Elgar Cello Concerto at the Barbican Centre together with the London Symphony Orchestra and Antonio Pappano.

Born in the town of Tournai in Belgium, David made his solo debut with the Belgium National Orchestra at the age of nine. His international career as a soloist soon flourished leading him to perform with top-class orchestras such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege, l’Orchestre Symphonique de la VRT, l’Orchestre de la Beethoven Akademie, l’Orchestre National de Lille, the Zurich chamber orchestra, L’Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne, l’Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Grenoble, the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphonia of Warsaw, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, NHK, BBC Concert Orchestra. Furthermore, David has worked as a soloist with some of the most distinguished conductors in the industry such as Lord Menuhin, M. Rostropovitch, Walter Weller, Sir Charles Mackerras, Vladimir Ashkenazy, C.V. Dohnanyi, Pedro Hallfter, Martin Brabbins.

His solo debut in Japan with The N.H.K and Maestro V. Ashkenazy performing Tchaikowsky ‘Rococo Variations’ in June 2007 has made a great impression, leading to recurring collaborations in the years to follow. As a graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, with the support of a grant from the Menuhin Foundation, David won more than 25 prizes in International Cello Competitions. Amongst his prizes and awards are the Gold Medal of the GSMD in London, (like Jaqueline Dupre), The Geneva International Cello Competition, the Audi International Competition, International Cello Competition in Douai, ’Tenuto’international Competition”, The Guilherminia Suggia Gift, The Ian Flaming Trust, SPES, KPMG Martin Scholarship, Hattory Foundation, Berllotti-Buitonie Fellowship award, Fondation SUISA, J.S.Bach International Competition. Furthermore, David was Nominated ECHO “Rising Star” for the season 2002-2003 by the “Royal Philharmonic Society of Belgium” and the “Concertgebouw”.

Davids’ passion for chamber music has led him to regularly enjoy collaborating with fine musicians in major International cello- and chamber music festivals such as Kronberg (Germany), Manchester ( U.K), Cambridge (U.K.), Beauvais (France), Orpheus Baccheus in Bordeaux ( France), the Gstaad Festival (Suisse), West Cork (Ireland) Kuhmo (Finland) Elverum (Norway) Oxford (u.k), Sonoro (Bucharest). David is the Artistic Director of the Melchior Ensemble, which brings together the finest musicians from Europe such as a.o. Sasha Sitkovetsky, Priya Mitchel, Corine Chapelle, Silver Ainomae, Razvan Popovici and is the ensemble in Residence in Peter House Cambridge. David was appointed Principal Cello of the Philharmonia Orchestra in March 2001 (making him the youngest principal cellist in the history.).

He has be appointed Principal cello of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Internationally award winning discography by David is to be found with Forlane, Classic FM, Cypres-Records and the LPO Label. It includes recordings of the Lutoslawski cello concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Gubaidulina cello concerto with the BBC Symphony. David plays on a magnificient Dominicus Montagnana cello circa 1735 thanks to the late Patricia Morton and the Razumovsky Trust. David is the creator and artistic director of « Les Sons Intensifs » , a vibrant chamber music festival in the home town of the famous artist Renee Magritte (Lessines, Belgium ).

A conductor of fine reputation, David has performed in several international festivals such as Kuhmo Festival, Stift Festival, Osnabruck “Con brio Festival”, Les Sons Intensifs, Belgrade Ensemble, Phion Orchestra in Netherlands. His repertoire includes composers such as P.M.Davis, P.Glass, Debussy, Gubbaidulina, Mahler, Stravinsky, Sibelius, including premiere performances and recordings of pieces by Osvaldo Golijov and Isidora Zebeljan. “…David Cohen, one of the most talented young cellists I know. He was a student at my School for some years, and is altogether a remarkable young man, a remarkable performer and already an outstanding cellist.” Lord Menuhin (dec. 98)

Alissa Firsova, together with her composer parents, fled Moscow to London in 1991, where she enjoyed her musical studies at the Purcell School and Royal Academy of Music. As a solo pianist she made her Wigmore Hall and Proms debuts in 2009 and as a chamber musician works regularly with David Cohen, Daniel Rowland, Camerata RCO, Tim Hugh, Andrew Marriner, Mark Padmore and many others.

Since winning the BBC Proms Young Composer Competition in 2001, she received three commissions for the Proms, writing for the Royal Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic and Southbank Sinfonia together with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Her music was also performed by the NTO Mannheim, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Barcelona, Houston and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, Britten Sinfonia, Netherlands Blazer Ensemble, Dante, Tippett and Navarra quartets, Henning Kraggerud, Imogen Cooper and conductors, Andrew Litton, Mark Wigglesworth, Alexander Soddy, Leo McFall, Jessica Cottis and Gemma New, to name a few.

Alissa recorded her debut solo piano (Russian Émigrés) and composer portrait (Fantasy) CD’s on Vivat and her Stabat Mater, recorded by The Sixteen, was featured in Gramophone’s Top 10 Compositions by Women. Her recital for the Amsterdam Piano Series, including her transcription of Mahler’s Adagietto, was released on Vinyl by Gutman Records in 2020. She enjoyed her triple debut with the English Chamber Orchestra as conductor, composer and pianist in 2013 in the Cadogan Hall and became Artistic Director of the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival since 2019.

Further conducting work included appearances with the Camerata RCO in her Le Soleil de Conques op. 33 in Conques Festival in 2015 and for the Union Musicale series in Turin in 2016, as well as her mother, Elena Firsova’s Chamber Violin Concerto with Daniel Rowland at his Stift Festival in 2021. In 2020 she play-conducted an all-Beethoven programme with the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra.

In July 2023, Alissa’s symphony, Spell of Creation, was commissioned and premiered at Manchester Festival by BBC Phil with contralto, Jess Dandy. She recently has enjoyed further collaborations with the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra as pianist, composer and conductor, as well as chamber music concerts in Bavaria and the Algarve and residencies in festivals in Buxton and Lessines.