Naida Margaret Cole, born on October 28, 1974, in Durham, North Carolina, is an American pianist. She spent her childhood in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom before immigrating to Canada in 1984. Cole began her musical training at a young age, studying with Marina Geringas at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she graduated at 13. She continued her education at the Peabody Conservatory under Leon Fleisher. Cole's career took off with her debut album Faure, Chabrier, Satie, Ravel, which was released in 1999 and earned critical acclaim including a spot as one of Gramophone magazine's Critics' Favorite CDs of 2001. She also performed with notable orchestras such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Kremerata Baltica.
