viola

Throughout his career, Mihai Emil Cocea has built a reputation for artistic excellence, versatility, and a deep commitment to chamber music, working with a distinguished roster of international artists and ensembles.

As a soloist, Cocea has performed with orchestras including the Brussels Philharmonic, Nova Russia, Moscow Soloists, St. Andrews Symphony Orchestra, and Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra. He has appeared in esteemed venues such as Zurich’s Tonhalle, London’s Wigmore Hall, and the Romanian Athenaeum. His discography includes recordings of the viola sonatas by Brahms and Shostakovich, in collaboration with pianist Oana Zamfir-Cocea.

Chamber music lies at the heart of Cocea’s musical life. He has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Daishin Kashimoto, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Diana Ketler, David Cohen, Simon Lane, Rudolph Koelman, Anneleen Lenaerts, Clémence de Forceville, Benedict Klöckner, Thorsten Johanns, Gustavo Carvalho, Nicolas Dautricourt, Liisa Randalu, Bruno Giuranna, Mariana Sîrbu, Rocco Filippini, and Franco Petracchi. He regularly performs at international festivals including Festival Artes Vertentes (Brazil), Norfolk and Norwich Festival (UK), SoNoRo International Music Festival (Romania), and IGNM Neue Musik Szene (Switzerland). Since 2019, he has served as Artist in Residence at the Huilo Huilo International Music Festival in Chile.

Cocea has held the position of principal viola with the Brussels Philharmonic since 2017. He has also appeared as guest principal with the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt and the SWR Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, and previously served as principal with the St. Gallen Sinfonieorchester and the Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein.

His artistic development was shaped by an international education. Born in 1990 in Bucharest, he began his musical journey with the violin at the age of five, before transitioning to the viola at thirteen. He studied at the George Enescu National College of Music in Bucharest, earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London under Paul Silverthorne, and pursued further studies at the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona with Bruno Giuranna. He completed his Master’s degree at the Zurich University of the Arts under Lawrence Power, supported by a scholarship from the Swiss Confederation.

Cocea is a laureate of numerous competitions, including Third Prize at the Watson Forbes International Viola Competition and finalist positions at the Yuri Bashmet Viola Competition and Eurovision Young Musicians. He has received the John Barbirolli, Lionel Tertis, and York Bowen Awards from the Royal Academy of Music. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

In addition to his performing career, Cocea is dedicated to education. Since 2023, he has been professor of viola at the Conservatorium Maastricht and regularly leads masterclasses and youth orchestra coaching sessions throughout Europe and South America. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the George Enescu National University of Arts in Iași, Romania.