Peter Martens

Biography

South African cellist, Peter Martens won the 2011 Classical Music SAMA for his recording of the complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Beethoven. Joanne Talbot of the Strad wrote, “Martens delivers brilliantly incisive and spirited accounts of all these works”

Peter Martens studied with Dalena Roux at Stellenbosch University and Heidi Litchauer at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1993 Peter returned to South Africa and occupied principal positions in a number of orchestras before moving to the University of Stellenbosch where he currently holds the positions of Artistic Administrator and Director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival.

He is a member of the Amici String Quartet and has enjoyed other chamber music parnerships with, Leon Bosch, Lamar Crowson, Nina Schumann, Luis Magalhães, Benjamin Schmid, Daniel Rowland, Wolfgang Schmidt, Mirijam Contzen, Suzanne Martens, Ivry Gitlis and members of the Osiris Piano Trio, Amsterdam. 2012 Chamber music engagements included the Schubert Quintet with the Brodsky String Quartet in London, the Gulda Cello Concerto at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and performing at the Bulawayo International Festival with pianist, Leslie Howard. Concerto engagements have resulted in collaborations with a number of fine conductors including Victor Yampolsky, Bernard Gueller, Douglas Boyd and Jonas Alber. He has participated in festivals in Holland, Salzburg, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Portugal as well has having performed in the U.K. and U.S.A. Many South African composers have written for him, the most notable composition being the Cello Concerto by Allan Stephenson, which he recorded for Meridian Records with the Cape Philharmonic. His latest CD of the Bach Solo Suites is available from TwoPianists Records.

Peter is Artistic Director of the award winning Stellenbosch University Camerata who recently teamed up with Joshua Bell in performances of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

Peter plays on a Locky Hill Cello and is married to violinist, Suzanne Martens.