Coen Schenk started playing a musical instrument at an early age. After first completing an education in interior design, he turned to music, studying composition at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and the Högskolan för Scen och Musik in Gothenburg. Schenk participated in several international composition projects and master classes. As an improvisator and multi-instrumentalist he has been on stage in a number of productions by colleague-composers. Since 2011, he has worked freelance as a composer and arranger.

Schenk’s output ranges from works for large orchestra and ensembles, to chamber and solo music. He collaborated with various groups and musicians including Modelo62, De Ereprijs, Ensemble för Ny Musik, Ysaÿe Trio, conductors Bas Wiegers, Wim Boerman, Ezequiel Menalled and pianists Viktor Yuandong Mattsson and Eke Simons. He was selected to participate in the 250 Pieces for Beethoven project in Bonn, Germany. His piano piece Dankgesang was recorded in 2019 by Susanne Kessel and published by Musica Ferrum in London. New work for piano quartet was performed by musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2021. Recently, Sonate was given its world premiere by pianist Tobias Borsboom, broadcast on Dutch national radio. His music has been performed in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, the UK, USA, Russia, China, and Japan.

Coen Schenk is a member of the Dutch music rights organization Buma/Stemra and the professional association for Dutch composers, Nieuw Geneco.