Free Lunchtime Concert – violinist Leora Cohen, pianist Paul Wingfield

Leora Cohen

British-American violinist, Leora Cohen, enjoys a diverse career performing as a recitalist, soloist and ensemble musician around the world. She holds a first-class degree from the University of Cambridge and two postgraduate Diplomas from the Royal College of Music.

Leora made her debut at 16 performing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole at St John’s Smith Square. In 2020 she performed Beethoven’s Violin Concerto at West Road Concert Hall, was a finalist in the Sir Karl Jenkins Music Competition and played Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 in masterclass with Michael Vaiman live-streamed on the Violin Channel. For over two years she toured with the LGT Young Soloists, performing regularly to Liechtenstein Royalty and opening the 2022 Heidelberg Festival playing Kreisler. In her final year at the RCM, Leora was soloist with the RCM Symphony Orchestra in a public masterclass with Maxim Vengerov on Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. She currently performs regularly as soloist with the Albion Chamber Orchestra in London and as a recitalist across the UK with Paul Wingfield.

Leora has played chamber music on BBC Radio 3, at Kings Place, and at the Wigmore Hall, and has held an Instrumental Award for chamber music at Cambridge.

A prominent concertmaster of her generation, she has led all orchestras of the RCM senior and junior departments,, the National Youth Orchestra of GB, and the Cambridge University Orchestra under the baton of many renowned conductors including John Wilson, Sir Mark Elder, Sir Antonio Pappano, Jac van Steen and Thomas Adés at the BBC Proms, and collaborating with soloists such as Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Guy Johnson.

Leora has played alongside the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Ballet, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Chineke!.

Leora is very grateful for the support she has received from the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation, the Royal College of Music, Talent Unlimited, Help Musicians, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Stephen Bell Trust, the Honourable Society of Knights of the Round Table, the MCSC/H.S. Barlow Charitable Trust and the University of Cambridge.

Today, Leora is playing on a violin made in 1912 by Arthur E Smith that is on short-term loan to her. It is an incredibly detailed copy of a violin made by the renowned eighteenth-century luthier, Niccoló Gagliano. Smith’s highly prized copies have been owned by some of the world’s most celebrated violinists, including Menuhin, Oistrakh and Stern. Leora is currently seeking sponsorship to buy this very special instrument. For more information please contact her at leora.cohen99@gmail.com.

Paul Wingfield

Paul Wingfield attended Chetham’s School of Music, where he studied the oboe with Sonia Wrangham and Evelyn Barbirolli, the piano with Gordon Fergus-Thompson and Charles Hopkins, and composition with Gordon Crosse and Peter Maxwell Davies. After an active performing career at school and as an undergraduate, he had until recently given only occasional concerts. In the last two years, he has come out of semi-retirement and has performed with Leora Cohen as a part of a duo making recordings for Leora’s YouTube channel and giving recitals around the UK.

Throughout 2024 Paul and Leora will be performing centennial recitals celebrating C.V. Stanford and concerts in memory of Carl Davis CBE.

Listen to more performances by Leora and Paul on Leora’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOaP0D6zwSK8KmLViz1HWJw