Peter Martens, cello
Peter Martens was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1971 and began his cello studies at the age of 8. Whilst still at school and studying with Dalena Roux at Stellenbosch University, he won a scholarship to participate in the World Youth Orchestra in Michigan U.S.A. where he led the cello section. He continued his studies at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, with Prof Heidi Litchauer from 1991 to 1993 where he also had master classes from William Pleeth, Ivan Monighetti and Heinrich Schiff. During this time he performed extensively as solo cellist for the Austrian Ensemble for Modern Music and as a member of the chamber orchestra, Salzburger Musici. His career as orchestral cellist saw him occupy principal positions in several South African orchestras as well as working with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. He currently divides his time between the management of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Endler Concert Series at Stellenbosch University, a busy chamber music and solo schedule as well as being an active family man.
His first concerto engagement was with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15. He has recorded for the South African Broadcasting Corporation as well as for “Cello Classics” of London with the sextet “I Grandi Violoncellisti”. He is a member of the Amici String Quartet and Bass-ically Brilliant with bassist Leon Bosch. Other chamber music activities have included partnerships with the late Lamar Crowson, Nina Schumann, Luis Magalhães, Benjamin Schmid, Daniel Rowland, Tom Carroll, Suzanne Martens, Ivry Gitlis and members of the Osiris Piano Trio, Amsterdam. As Chamber Musician, he has participated in Festivals in Russia, Holland, Austria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Portugal as well has having performed in the U.K and U.S.A. Concerto engagements have resulted in collaborations with a number of fine conductors including Victor Yampolsky, Bernard Gueller, Douglas Boyd and Jonas Alber. In 2008 he formed the highly acclaimed Stellenbosch University Camerata, whose first CD released by TwoPianists Records won a SAMA in the only classical music category in 2010. His recently released a double album of the complete Beethoven Sonatas with pianist Luis Magalhães is available internationally on the TwoPianists label. Including much praise in significant international publications, this album won the 2011 Classical music SAMA. South African composers including Hendrik Hofmeyr and Paul Hanmer amongst others have written for him, the most notable composition being the Cello Concerto by Allan Stephenson. This was recorded with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra for CD by Meridian Records and released in London in October 2011.
Peter plays on a Locky Hill Cello and is married to violinist, Suzanne Martens with two children.