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. He was a special prize winner at the prestigious Primrose International Viola Competition as well as garnering top prizes at the Citta di Cremona International Viola Competition in Italy, Vivo International Music Competition and the Art of Duo International Competition. Particularly interested in advocating for the viola as a unique voice, he is challenging the misconception that the viola has a limited repertoire by bringing attention to lesser-known gems as well as arrangements of other masterworks.

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 concertized as a soloist with orchestras such as the Gstaad Festival Orchestra, I Virtuosi Italiani, the Juilliard Orchestra, Symphony in C, the North Shore Symphony Orchestra, the Colburn Orchestra, the Oregon Sinfonietta and gave the world premiere of internationally recognized video game score composer Garry Schyman’s viola concerto “Zingaro” with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. Recent engagements include performances at Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Taipei’s National Concert Hall and recitals in Memphis, Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and Vancouver. Upcoming projects include recording Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Edmonton Chamber Orchestra and a viola and piano album titled “Viola Americana” featuring works by American composers as well as composers who emigrated to America.

Highly active as an educator, he was appointed as the 2023-24 McAndless Distinguished Professor Chair at Eastern Michigan University with the Formosa Quartet and undertakes bi-annual residencies at the University of Houston teaching viola and chamber music to undergraduate, masters, and doctorate level students. He has given masterclasses at a variety of institutions for higher learning including the University of British Columbia, Temple University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Music Institute of Chicago, and numerous schools in Taiwan including Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Sun Yat-sen University. Other educational activities include serving on the chamber music faculty of Texas Music Festival, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, QuartetFest at Wilfrid-Laurier University and the Heifetz Institute.

A passionate chamber musician, Cohen is a member of the Formosa Quartet and the Li-Cohen Duo and has performed alongside members of ensembles such as the Aeolus, Borromeo, Guarneri, Jasper, Orion, Parker, Tokyo, and Vermeer string quartets and the Beaux Arts, Horszowski and Tempest piano trios. He is on the artist roster of CreArtBox and New Asia Chamber Music Society in New York City and is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Opus 71 Concerts, a multidisciplinary concert series near New York’s Lincoln Center.