Born in Manchester into a musical family, Cohen first took violin lessons from his father, a schoolmaster and amateur violinist.
[3] Cohen spent two summers leading an orchestra in Blackpool, where he gained experience playing music ranging from The White Horse Inn to Beethoven symphonies and appearing twice a week as soloist.
By this time, Cohen had settled in London, and alongside his solo career, was in demand as a chamber music player, orchestral leader and teacher.
[3] Following his term as RPO leader, Cohen continued a career as a soloist and increased his work in chamber music.
[2] In 1993, the family was featured in a BBC radio programme called "The Musical World of Raymond Cohen".