Tutors
The Edinburgh Quartet (Tristan Gurney and Philip Burrin, violins, Jessica Beeston, viola and Mark Bailey, cello) is our resident string quartet. In 2011 we welcomed clarinettist Maximiliano Martin, Principal Clarinet with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as woodwind tutor, taking over from flautist Joanna Shaw.
BIOGRAPHIES
The Edinburgh Quartet is the resident ensemble of the Ian Tomlin School of Music, Napier University, Edinburgh. Founded in 1959 by Professor Sydney Newman, the Quartet also continues to play an important role in the musical activities of Edinburgh University.
After its formation, the Quartet quickly became established as one of the foremost British ensembles. Having worked closely with Michael Tippett, the Edinburgh Quartet’s recording of Quartet No 1 was selected by the composer for release shortly before his death. Close relationships were established with some of the most distinguished composers of the time. Indeed, their work in this field earned them the first PRS award from the Scottish Society of Composers. Kenneth Leighton and Hans Gal worked intimately with the Edinburgh Quartet in the preparation and performance of their works. Recently they have released two CDs of Leighton’s work and have just finished recording Hans Gal’s four string quartets.
Foreign tours soon became a frequent feature of the Quartet’s season. In addition to regular journeys to European countries and the USA, the Edinburgh Quartet toured extensively in South America and in many of the Caribbean islands in the 1960s and early 70s – pioneering expeditions to many areas which had not experienced this sort of music before. The 1980s saw the Quartet playing regularly behind the Iron Curtain, and in the Middle East. These international connections are still active, and have been enriched in recent years by the Quartet’s regular visits to the islands of Cyprus and Malta.
In addition to fulfilling their regular series of engagements over a wide area, the players are more involved than most string quartets in the promotion of chamber music, playing both in Scotland’s cities and throughout the country’s rural areas. A regular series is given in Edinburgh, and starting in 2004, in Glasgow. Major works of the quartet repertoire are toured to the remotest locations of the Highlands and Islands, providing an intimate and complete musical experience to communities that may otherwise receive only scaled-down performances by larger companies, or perhaps no music at all.
MAXIMILIANO MARTÍN
Clarinet
“Martin's playing has the easy virtuosity that only top class musicians can achieve.”
Hi-Fi Choice
Maximiliano Martín is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting and charismatic musicians of his generation. He combines his work as Principal Clarinet of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with many appearances as a soloist, guest principal clarinettist and chamber musician with prestigious ensembles and orchestras.
After being appointed Principal Clarinet of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2002 and winning the Young Artists Plattform Competition in the same year, Martín has since made debuts at the Wigmore Hall London, Queens Hall Edinburgh, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, St Davids Hall Cardiff, Perth Concert Hall, St George’s Bristol, Brighton and Newbury Festivals and overseas at the Tallin Festival, Palau de la Musica Catalana and Teatro Monumental in Madrid.
As a soloist Martín has performed all the major concertos with orchestras such as Scottish Chamber Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and Macedonian Philharmonic under the baton of Bruggen, Manze, Antonini, Swensen, McGegan, Canev and de Ridder. In the field of chamber music he has enjoyed collaborations with London Conchord Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Moonwinds Ensemble, Doric String Quartet and with other artists such as Michael Collins, Paul Meyer, Alexander Janiczek, Pekka Kuusisto, Artur Pizarro, Christian Zacharias, Juho Pohjonen, Scott Mitchell, Radovan Vlatkovic, Sergio Azzolini, Maurice Bourgue, Alexander Melnikov, Caroline Widmann, Llyr Williams, Katherine Broderick, Peter Hill and Richard Watkins among many others.
He has performed in the most important concert halls and international festivals (Vienna, Lucern, London, Salzburg, Brussels, Ámsterdam, Rome, Berlín, Hannover, Cologne, Leeds, Miami, Madrid, Zurich, Paris, etc) with orchestras such the London Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Orquesta de Cadaques, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Kammerorkester, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, Orquesta de Radio Television Espanola and work with prestigious conductors like Abbado, Haitink, Colin Davis, Mackerras, Marriner, Berglund, Lopez Cobos, Elder, Krivine and Litton. He has been member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
His debut album “Fantasia” and the recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra were released by Linn Records with great critical acclaim. In October last year he performed the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with SCO and André de Ridder which was broadcasted by BBC Radio 3. Martin has recorded with the Hebrides Ensemble the Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Times also for Linn Records, which was launched in May 2008 at the Wigmore Hall in London. His new recording "Vibraciones del Alma" with the pianist Scott Mitchell has been released in June this year with great success. Future releases include the Glinka Trio for Orchid Classics and the Menotti Trio for Champs Hill Records.
Martin was born in La Orotava (Tenerife) and studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica in Tenerife, Barcelona School of Music and later at the Royal College of Music in London where he held the prestigious Wilkins-Mackerras Scholarship, gradutated with distinction and received the Frederick Thurston and Golden Jubilee Prizes. His teachers have included Joan Enric Lluna, Richard Hosford and Robert Hill.
Martín is also active in the education field – he currently teaches at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and regularly gives master classes in Spain. Martín is one of the Artistic Directors of the “Chamber Music Festival of La Villa de La Orotava” held every year in his home town.
Maximiliano Martin is a Buffet Crampon Artist and plays with Buffet Tosca Clarinets.
www.maximilianomartin.com
