Biography

Tamsin Waley-Cohen performs as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of St John's, London Concert Orchestra and London Chamber Orchestra, and under conductors including Andrew Litton, Jose Serebrier, Shlomo Mintz, Nicholas Cleobury, John Lubbock and Robert Max. She has played at Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican, Liszt Academy Hall, Budapest and in venues across the UK and Europe.

In demand as a recitalist, her partners include pianists Gary Matthewman and Gregorio Nardi. She regularly plays with cellist Gemma Rosefield, and upcoming collaborations include projects with artists such as Andreas Haefliger and Johannes Moser. A versatile musician, her repertoire ranges from baroque through to contemporary music. She is also an avid chamber musician which has led to her forming the Honeymead Ensemble, which in its first three years has included Adrian Brendel, Guy Ben-Ziony, Leon McCauley, Richard Harwood, Sarah-Jane Bradley. She has participated in festivals, including Cheltenham, Academia San Felice, Florence Chamber Music, The Red Violin, The Two Moors, and Presteigne and this summer will make her American debut playing Mendelssohn Concerto in the Bowdoin Festival.

Tamsin was born in London in 1986. She became a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music where her professor was Itzhak Rashkovsky. At the RCM she won all available awards, including, twice, the concerto competition, and was their String Player of the Year. Numerous competition successes include winning the 2005 Royal Overseas League String Prize, and the 2007 J&A Beare Bach competition.

Tamsin has been a regular participant at the International Musicians' Seminar at Prussia Cove since she was 16, where she has worked with distinguished musicians including Lorand Fenyves, Andras Keller, Martin Lovett, Mark Padmore and Gerhard Schulz. She has also participated in master classes given by Ida Haendel, Igor Ozim, and Ruggiero Ricci, the latter describing her as "the most exceptionally gifted young violinist I have ever encountered."

Since early 2007 she has played the 1721 ex-Fenyves Stradivarius violin.