About Martin
MARTIN OWEN horn
New CD Release 2023
RICHARD STRAUSS
Concerto No.1, Op.11 in E-Flat Major
Concerto No.2 in E-Flat Major
CARL MARIA VON WEBER
Concertino, Op.45 In E Minor
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Concertstück, Op.86 in F Major for Four Horns and Large Orchestra
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / John Wilson
…this is a recording of distinction.
Recording of the Month - Recommended (Oct '23)
Peter J Rabinowitz Gramophone magazine
…there’s no greater tonic that the Schumann, and no better sonorities could be imagined; the recording captures them beautifully … It’s a sheer joy, with only superficial melancholy adding more colours. I’ll be playing that over and over again.
David Nice BBC Music magazine
All portrait photos by Davide Cerati
Owen's playing is a luxury for the ear
THE SUNDAY TIMES, LONDON Martin Owen brings a Dennis Brain-like poetry to his playingTHE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, LONDON
Martin Owen's horn playing is rich and expressive in the Serenade [BRITTEN], and he manages the haunting, swooping octaves with apparent ease.BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
Interstellar Call, the solo-horn movement
[from Messiaen's Des Canyons Aux Etoiles] was made into a masterly tour de force by Owen. Prom 13: BBCSO/OramoTHE GUARDIAN
Martin Owen is regarded as one of Europe's leading horn players, appearing as soloist and chamber musician all around the world. Martin currently holds the position of Principal Horn at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, having served as Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for ten years, and from 2012-13 was contracted as Principal Horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He is also Principal Horn in the California-based chamber music ensemble Camerata Pacifica and the UK’s Britten Sinfonia and Haffner Ensemble.
Performances include concertos by Mozart, Richard Strauss, Schumann, Messiaen, Britten, Elliott Carter, Oliver Knussen and Thea Musgrave with orchestras including the BBCSO, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España, The Hallé, New World Symphony, Bucharest Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Aalborg Symfoniorkester and Baltic Philharmonic, and recitals with Camerata Pacifica.
Martin Owen gave the world premiere of Malcolm Arnold's Burlesque
with the Royal Philharmonic and in 2007, made his solo debut at the BBC Proms performing Schumann's Konzertstück
with the BBC Philharmonic. Martin has since returned to the Proms as soloist in Oliver Knussen's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO conducted by the composer, broadcast live on BBC television and radio. In 2008, he made his Barbican debut in the London premiere of Elliott Carter's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO/Knussen (a performance released by Bridge Records) and later performed the Knussen and Elliott Carter horn concertos with the Orquesta Nacional de España in Madrid. Other recordings include Mozart’s horn concertos with the Royal Philharmonic (RPO Classics), Britten's Serenade
with Toby Spence and the Scottish Ensemble (Linn), Schubert's Octet with Michael Collins (Wigmore Hall Live), Schumann's Konzertstück
with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Mackerras (BBC Music Magazine), Danzi's Sinfonia Concertante
with the Orquestra de Cadaques/Marriner (Trito), Roderick Elms' Four Seasonal Nocturnes
with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Bell (Dutton) and Benjamin Britten's Canticles
with tenor Ben Johnson (Signum Classics). Additionally, Martin Owen has performed on over 300 movie soundtracks to date including James Bond, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Gladiator
and Pirates of the Caribbean
films.
Recent solo performances include Vivaldi Concerto for 2 horns and strings, and Stravinsky Four Russian Peasant Songs
with the Berlin Philharmonic, Schumann's Konzertstück
and Musgrave's Horn Concerto with the BBCSO/Sakari Oramo, Strauss and Mozart concerti with Bucharest Philharmonic and Strauss Concerto No. 2 with the Baltic Philharmonic. Martin joined Mark Padmore and the Bergen Philharmonic/Edward Gardner for Britten’s Serenade, performed Strauss 2 with Barcelona Opera orchestra/Josep Pons and Strauss 1 with Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg/Sir Roger Norrington. He also performed Britten’s Serenade
in Shanghai, Norwich and Cambridge with Britten Sinfonia/Ian Bostridge. 2017/18 included chamber and solo work in the UK, Italy, France, Poland, Austria, Finland, Romania, China, Australia and the USA, and guest principal horn with the Cleveland Orchestra. 2019/20 season saw Martin return to the proms performing Messiaen’s Des Canyons Aux Etoiles, Britten’s Serenade
in the Barbican, concerti with Trondheim and Ostrobothnian Chamber orchestras and chamber concerts in Italy with violinist Francesca Dego. 2022 sees Martin recording both Richard Strauss concerti, Weber Concertino and Schumann Konzertstück
with BBC Philharmonic/John Wilson for Chandos Records, and also for Chandos, Martin will record trios by Brahms/Ligeti/Mozart with Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna, piano, mid 2023.
Martin Owen is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he is Professor of Horn, and has given masterclasses at institutions including the Hans Eisler Berlin, Maurice André Academy Valencia, Conservatorio de Santiago de Compostela, USC and UCLA in Los Angeles, as well as being coach to the horn section of the European Union Youth Orchestra.