Martin Owen - French Horn - Worldwide Artists Ltd.

Martin Owen is widely regarded as one of Europe's leading horn players, appearing as guest Principal Horn both with the major London orchestras and those further afield, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He also appears as soloist and chamber musician in some of the leading music festivals around the world. Since making his Wigmore Hall debut in 1997, Martin has performed a variety of recitals and concertos at home and abroad, including the USA, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. In 1998, he was appointed Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, relinquishing the post in 2008 after ten years of service.

Martin currently holds the position of Principal Horn at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, but still enjoys a busy and varied solo career. Recent highlights include performances of Richard Strauss' second horn concerto with the New World Symphony; Malcolm Arnold's concerto with both the Scottish Ensemble and Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra; Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Guildhall Strings and a range of tenor soloists including Toby Spence and Philip Langridge; Messiaen's Des Canyons aux Etoiles with Ensemble Modern; Haydn's second concerto with English Sinfonia; Jan van der Roost's Rhapsody with the Scottish Academy; and Gordon Jacob's Concerto and Weber's Concertino at the British Horn Festival, as well as many performances of the four Mozart concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Martin also gave the world premiere of Malcolm Arnold's recently- discovered Burlesque with the Royal Philharmonic in the composer's home town of Northampton.

In 2003, Martin Owen recorded Britten's Serenade with Toby Spence and the Scottish Ensemble directed by Clio Gould for the Linn label, to great critical acclaim - Paul Driver of The Sunday Times cited that "Owen's playing is a luxury for the ear". He recently returned to Wigmore Hall to give performances of the Serenade and Schubert's Octet with Michael Collins (which was recorded for Wigmore Hall Live label). Other highlights have included a German tour of Schumann's Konzertstück with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recordings of Mozart's concerto no. 4 (for RPO classics) and of Roderick Elms' Four Seasonal Nocturnes for Horn (also with the RPO, for the Dutton label), and, in 2007, his solo debut at the BBC Proms performing Schumann's Konzertstück with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

More recently, Martin performed Britten's Serenade with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the 2008 Bad Kissingen Festival, and subsequently made his Barbican debut in the London premiere of Elliott Carter's horn concerto, also with the BBC Symphony/Oliver Knussen, as part of Carter's 100th birthday celebrations. Martin's performance of this work was released by Bridge Records in March 2010. His recent recording of Danzi's Sinfonia Concertante, with the Orquestra de Cadaques, was released in 2009 on the Trito label. Martin returned to the Proms as soloist in a highly-acclaimed performance of Oliver Knussen's horn concerto with the BBC Symphony conducted by the composer, broadcast live on BBC television and radio.

Martin Owen has been awarded a Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music, where he is Professor of Horn.

UPDATED March 2010 - DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM Worldwide Artists Ltd. (www.worldwideartists.com)

Martin Owen...brings a Dennis Brain-like poetry to his playing.

Michael Kennedy, Sunday Telegraph

It was a good idea to have Oliver Knussen conduct his Horn Concerto...a little gem, already heard twice before at the Proms and here given a radiant performance by Martin Owen.
Geoffrey Norris, Daily Telegraph,

(Owen as soloist in Knussen Horn Concerto, BBC Prom 30, 2009)

Also on the schedule was the UK premiere of a new work by Knussen, but unfortunately his Cleveland Pictures was not ready in time. Instead, there was a performance of his 1994 Horn Concerto, with Martin Owen as the wonderfully supple soloist.

Andrew Clements, The Guardian

(Owen as soloist in Knussen Horn Concerto, BBC Prom 30, 2009)

New CD Release, March 2010:

Owen as soloist in Elliott Carter's Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra

www.bridgerecords.com

Owen as soloist in Elliott Carter Horn Concerto, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Oliver Knussen, Barbican Centre. Carter's 100th birthday celebration:

Martin Owen.... dazzled us in the recent Horn Concerto, a jubilant celebration of this "peculiar instrument" (Carter's phrase), with the solo gymnastics magically tinctured by a rainbow of wonders, from tutti shrieks and a percussion salsa to whispers of vibraphone and muted brass.
Geoff Brown, The Times

Carter's astonishingly vivid Horn Concerto was scrupulously played by Martin Owen.
Keith McDonnell, MusicOMH.com

Owen as soloist alongside Toby Spence with the Scottish Ensemble,

Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (CD Review):

Owen's playing is a luxury for the ear.
Paul Driver, The Sunday Times

Martin Owen's horn playing is rich and expressive in the Serenade, and he manages the haunting, swooping octaves in 'Dirge' with apparent ease.

BBC Music Magazine

Horn virtuoso Martin Owen balances himself against the rest of the group in the ensemble numbers, but he makes the most of the "Prologue", playing with incredible dynamic range and pushing himself as close to the edge as Anthony Halstead did in the Nimbus recording...Moving into the "Elegy", Owen rivals Halstead for power and sharp character...The slow pace for the movement intensifies it immensely, and Owen's control over his final few notes is masterful. The subsequent "Dirge"...capped at its height by a demonic contribution from Owen's horn.

A more convincing case for an intimately-scaled performance of the Serenade is difficult to imagine.

Mark Jordan, High Fidelity.com