Born in the USA, Maggie Cole has made her home in the UK for the past 40 years. During this time, she has enjoyed a career playing harpsichord, fortepiano and piano. She will always be grateful for the superb tuition received here, most notably from Jill Severs on harpsichord, and for the extraordinary opportunities that living in Europe has brought to her.

Maggie is harpsichordist with Britten Sinfonia and has performed with The Nash Ensemble and London Sinfonietta in music that ranges from JS Bach to Henri Duttileux. As a soloist her repertoire includes the 17th and 18th century harpsichord composers, those of the Classical and early Romantic era and works from the 20th century. Gavin Bryars wrote ‘After Handel’s Vesper’ for her and Maggie takes every opportunity to perform this and works by Ligeti and Andriesson as well as the early 20th century harpsichord concertos by de Falla, Poulenc and Gerhard.

Working with singers is also an important part of Maggie’s musical life. Many years of close collaboration with soprano, Nancy Argenta and counter tenor, Michael Chance were an introduction to thrilling new areas of repertoire and an education in the particular art of musically supporting text. This has continued with her close association with American/Dutch soprano, Katharine Dain.

Maggie Cole’s spirited, poetic and disciplined playing illuminates each and every one of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on her Virgin Classics recording.

Gramophone

Maggie has recorded a diverse repertoire which includes on harpsichord; Scarlatti and Soler solo sonatas, Bach’s Goldberg Variations, his violin sonatas with Catherine Mackintosh, his flute sonatas with Philippa Davies and Boccherini cello sonatas with Steven Isserlis. Another particular delight was in recording Poulenc’s “Concert Champêtre” with Richard Hickox and the City of London Sinfonia. On fortepiano she has recorded trios by Haydn and Beethoven with Trio Goya and ‘Mozartiana’ with Sebastian Comberti. She can be heard on modern piano in a recording of romantic flute music by Philippe Gaubert with Idit Shemer.

Teaching has been part of Maggie’s life since her early years as a young pianist. She is professor of fortepiano at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and teaches all three of her instruments from home. All ages are welcome and it is Maggie’s aim to take students from wherever they are in their journey to the next stages in their musical and creative growth.
Maggie is proud to be a member of The Sarasa Chamber Ensemble (based in Cambridge MA, USA). She has been inspired by participating in their outreach programme which brings music, improvisation and collaboration into centres for incarcerated youth ( sarasamusic.org ).