Martin Outram

Martin Outram, viola

Since studying at Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music with John White, Martin Outram has enjoyed a wide ranging career as quartet player, soloist and teacher.

In addition to his career with the Maggini Quartet and as principal viola with Britten Sinfonia, Martin appears frequently as a soloist. His repertoire embraces the major works for viola, but his programmes often include rarely heard pieces, particularly by British composers. Several works have been written for him, notably concertos by Adam Gorb and David Gow. Martin made his Royal Festival Hall solo debut in 1992 in a performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the London Mozart Players.

Recent solo appearances have included concertos in London, Liverpool, and the Aldeburgh, Thaxted and Norfolk and Norwich festivals. Having given the broadcast premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Strathclyde Concerto No.5 with the composer conducting in 1995, he gave the first concert performance of Britten’s Portrait No.2 at St. John’s, Smith Square, London, a year later and went on to tour the work with Martyn Brabbins and Sinfonia 21 in Russia.

Recent engagements included a rare performance of the Maconchy Romanza with the Ambache Chamber Orchestra, performances of the Walton and Lars-Erik Larsson concertos. In addition, Martin was the soloist in the first European performance for 75 years of York Bowen’s Viola Concerto, with Ronald Corp and the New London Orchestra. In 2003, he played the Britten Lachrymae in Belgium with Britten Sinfonia and Joanna MacGregor and in 2006 he performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante on tour with BS and Tasmin Little.

Martin Outram performs in recital with Julian Rolton. Together they have performed widely throughout the UK and have recorded for Naxos. Recent performances have included highly acclaimed recitals at the 1997 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1998 International Viola Congress in Glasgow. Martin served on the jury for the 2003 Tertis Competition. In 2005, he will record all the music for viola and piano by Bax with Julian Rolton for the Naxos label.

Martin Outram is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he has been a professor since 1984, and also an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University College. He has taught and coached in several other major music institutions in Britain and America, and has been invited to give masterclasses in Berlin and Leipzig next year. He plays on a very fine viola made by Hieronymus Amati in 1628.

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