Biography
Tamsin Waley-Cohen has performed as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of St John's, London Concert Orchestra and London C hamber Orchestra, and under conductors including Andrew Litton, Jose Serebrier, Shlomo Mintz, Nicholas Cleobury, John Lubbock, and Robin O’Neill. She has played at Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Barbican, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Bridgewater Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and in venues across England, Scotland, Italy and Israel.
In demand as a recitalist, her partners include pianists Gary Matthewman and Gregorio Nardi. 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 two years (2007 and 2008) inc luded Adrian Brendel, Guy Ben-Ziony, Eyal Kless, Leon McCauley, John Myerscough and Jon Thorne. She has participated in festivals including Cheltenham, Accademia San Felice, Florence Chamber Music Festival, The Red Violin, Presteigne, and The Two Moors. She has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and on Italian television and national radio, as well as appearing in a documentary broadcast on CBS.
Tamsin was born in London in 1986. She became a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music where she won numerous RCM awards, including the concerto competition, twice, Ian Stoutzker Prize, and was their String Player of the year. At the RCM her Professor was Itzhak Rashkovsky. She was delighted to be chosen by the RCM to play for their president the Prince of Wales. Other competition successes include bei ng a laureate at Kloster Schontal and Sion, and winning the 2005 Royal Overseas League Strings prize, and the J & A Beare Solo Bach prize in 2007.
Highlights next season include a return performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, two appearance at St John’s Smith Square performing Prokofiev 1, Bartok 1st Rhapsody and Tchaikovsky, and performances of the Beethoven Concerto in Italy. She will also play the Haydn concerto in C in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy in Budapest which she will direct from the violin.
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.
Tamsin holds both UK and USA citizenships.