Outram proves himself a player in the Primrose mould, with sumptuous tone and sensitivity.
Martin Outram enjoys a wide-ranging career as chamber musician, soloist and teacher. He studied at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music. For more than forty years he was a member of the internationally renowned Maggini Quartet.
He has recorded over fifty discs with the quartet and other chamber music ensembles and has been the recipient of the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, a Cannes Classical Award, three Grammy nominations and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for chamber music. Alongside his work in the Maggini Quartet, Martin’s experience included an extremely busy career as a freelance player, appearing as principal viola and guest principal with all of London’s premier chamber orchestras. His nine solo discs have received wide international acclaim, including five-star reviews in the BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone and Strad magazines.
Many works have been written for him, including concertos by Peter Aviss, Adam Gorb and David Gow. He has appeared as a concerto soloist at the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and performed on tour in South America, Europe and the UK as a soloist with the Britten Sinfonia. His recital partner is Julian Rolton, with whom he has appeared regularly. Their appearances include performances at several international viola competitions and congresses.
He has given masterclasses at premier conservatoires throughout Europe, China and the USA. He is Lionel Tertis Professor of Viola and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and an Honorary Fellow of Brunel University and Canterbury Christ Church University. He is in demand as a jury member at international viola competitions. Martin’s extensive repertoire of arrangements and transcriptions is available in the catalogues of major publishing houses, including Boosey and Hawkes, Oxford University Press and Chesters. Martin plays on a very fine viola by Henricus Catenar, made in Turin in 1680.
