Liat Cohen
Guitar and musical direction
« Liat Cohen's guitar is to music what a beating heart is to life. »
M-A Roux, Le Monde
Pioneer of the renaissance of classical Guitar in contemporary creation, Liat Cohen gave her first concerts at the age of 14. Named « the Princess of Classical Guitar » (La Critique), her style of play is inspired, sensual, delicate, inventive but also that of a virtuoso. First Prize of the Paris
Conservatory, a Graduate of the Schola Cantorum (Concert Diploma awarded unanimously with congratulations from the jury), from the Paris Music Ecole Normale (Performance Diploma awarded unanimously), Liat Cohen was the first guitarist to be awarded the Nadia Boulanger Prize, from the Fondation de France.
She also won numerous international contests, among which those of Rome, Paris and Tel-Aviv.
Distinguished as one of the best guitar players in the world by Guitar Magazine and Classical
Guitar, Liat Cohen is « a true virtuoso guitarist perpetuating the great tradition established by the
legendary Andrès Segovia, transforming guitar, an intimate instrument, into a solo instrument
imposing itself in the largest concert halls, while maintaining its delicate, warm and welcoming
nuances » (Professor Hirshberg).
Liat Cohen played on all five continents and collaborated with the greatest conductors (Jacques
Mercier, Frédéric Chaslin, Jan Talich, Uri Segal, José-Miguel Perrez Sierra, Robert Tuohy…) and orchestras among which the Jerusalem Symphonic Orchestra, Israel's Chamber Orchestra, the
Lorraine National Orchestra, the Orchestra of Berne, The Melbourne Symphonic Orchestra, the
Haifa Symphonic Orchestra, the Symphonic Orchestra of Istanbul, the Talich Chamber Orchestra, Prazak Quartet…
Liat played on the greatest stages: Rudolphinum in Prague, Radio-France, the Théâtre
du Châtelet, the Brussels Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris's Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Cerclo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, the Cortot Hall, The National Theater of Costa Rica, the Opera of Montpellier, the Skirball Cultural Center of Los Angeles, the Theater of Jerusalem, the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris… and took part in a great number of
international festivals (Gstaad, Montpellier, at the Festival of Israel, at the Buenos Aires
Guitarras del Mundo Festival, in London, Melilla, Cordoba and Cap Ferret…).
A muse and a musician, Liat Cohen has explored and transcended her repertoire. Among her
projects, transcriptions for guitar of works by J.S. Bach which she recorded at the Abbaye of the
Mont St-Michel in 2003, while she was an Artist in Residence. Transcriptions which can be found on the album « Liat Cohen plays Bach » anetd which she played in concert for the 20th Day of European Heritage.
Her CD " Latino-Ladino » was published by Harmonia Mundi, an album born from the exciting
encounter between Spanish baroque music and South American music.
Liat Cohen's magnetic temperament on stage, her noble and lyrical tone, supported by her mastery of the instrument, is a source of inspiration for a great number of composers. Many concertos and solo works were dedicated to her. She recorded part of that work in the album
« Concertos » published by Warner Classics in 2009. That same year, she also signed with Warner Classics the double album « Virtuosi » with the Talich Quartet.
Her concerts with the Quatuor Prazak and the Talich Chamber Orchestra were recorded by Mezzo TV ; the DVD « Une guitare à Prague » received the Opus d’Or Prize.
In 2014, Liat Cohen created an unusual trip in the heart of Brazil classical music: Rio-Paris
(Warner Classics). The luxury crew was made up of Natalie Dessay, Agnès Jaoui and Helena
Noguerra. The quatuor share a common passion and fascination for latino music. They distil their
instrumental and vocal talents through the most beautiful masterpieces of the Brazil repertoire
and original compositions based on the poems of Victor Hugo. She reached rare peaks for an album of classical guitar. First place in all categories and several months in the first place of sales of classical music. Large media attention with prime time TV invitations as « Vivement Dimanche » by Michel Drucker, « Thé ou Café », « C’est à vous », Radio Classique, France Culture; praises by written media: Le Monde, Le Parisien, Libération, le Figaro as well as reports and interviews on France2, France 3, TF1, BFM TV, France Ô TV Stations.
From concerts to Operas in Rouen, Marseille, Reims, Limoges, Paris, Metz, Clermont-Ferrand, St
Etienne and the Olympia in Paris.
Her recent concert invitations included the Orchestra of the Opera of Limoges to play in a duo with Richard Galliano, as well as the National Orchestra of Lorraine, the Arsenal of Metz and Paris's Théâtre de la Ville.
Liat’s recent album “Madrid-Paris” was published by Warner Classics, in which she's surrounded by opera stars Rolando Villazon, Sandrine Piau and Charles Castronovo.
Liat is an ambassador of the SAVAREZ guitar strings.
Her following concert season includes dozens of concerts in Europe and Israel – solo recitals and concertos with numerous orchestras. View full list.