Ed is from Carlisle. He won the Cumbria Young Artist Award in 1989 and then continued his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and Huddersfield University, where he won the concerto and string prizes.

Ed has worked with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the Ensemble Buxtehude in Paris. Since returning to the north he has worked with the Northern Sinfonia and the English Philharmonic Orchestra as well as numerous solo appearances.

Ed has performed with Aurora Strings since 2004.