Born in Brooklyn, New York, Richard Cohen studied the piano for ten years before switching to the French horn in high school. His first teacher was Arthur Goldstein. After playing in four local orchestras and spending summers at Tanglewood, he was accepted at the Eastman School of Music where he studied under Verne Reynolds. For graduate studies, he earned a Masters degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where his teacher was Myron Bloom. During this time, summer studies continued at the Blossom Music Centre. In his last year at CIM, he was appointed Principal Horn of the Toledo Symphony and held that position for two seasons. In 1972 he auditioned for the TSO and is now in his 37th season. Aside from his orchestral duties, he has taught, played chamber music and worked in the commercial field doing numerous film scores and jingles. He is also a composer and a number of his works have been performed by the TSO and other orchestras throughout Canada and the U.S. His publisher is Neil A. Kjos in San Diego.

Married to Shelagh Cohen and the father of two children, he lives in North Toronto where his other interests include golf (13 handicap) tennis, food and wine, and trying to get things to grow in his large shady garden. In 2007, he proudly became a Canadian citizen.