Jo Cole won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music where she was a pupil of Florence Hooton and David Strange, before further study with Ralph Kirshbaum, Pierre Fournier and William Pleeth.  Her performing career of over twenty years included membership of the Academy of St Martins, co Principal Cello of the City of London Sinfonia and the Orchestra of St Johns, regular playing with the London Symphony Orchestra, numerous guest Principal and freelancing engagements throughout the UK as well as performance and recordings of chamber music and solo works. She has adjudicated competitions and given masterclasses nationally and internationally on summer courses and at distinguished institutions and uses these opportunities to share her thinking not only on cello playing but advocating that developing musicians embrace all forms of performance and the arts in order to be fulfilled and communicative artists. She is a regular external examiner in several UK conservatoires and Specialist Music Schools. She is Visiting Professor at the Shanghai Conservatory, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and Professor of Music at the University of London. She stepped down from her role as Head of Strings at the Academy in July 2022 after twelve years, to pursue performing and writing opportunities and to dedicate more time to her work as Professor of Cello at the Academy.

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