Apollonically inspired tones that spread far their arms of hardly graspable beauty and spiritual depth
Lionel Martin (2003) grew up in Tübingen, Germany and spent his first two years of life in Perth, Australia. At the age of 5 he began playing the cello at the Tübingen Music School with Joseph Hasten, who continues to mentor him today. Since 2020 Lionel is a junior student at Zurich University of the Arts with Prof. Thomas Grossenbacher.
At the competition “Jugend Musiziert” Lionel has been awarded many first national prizes including the highest score in the category cello solo. He has received scholarships from the Jürgen-Ponto Stiftung, the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben and the Bechstein Stiftung. At the international online competition Perusia Harmonica 2020 he has been awarded the first prize in the Senior Category.
In addition to his solo performances Lionel particularly loves playing chamber music. He performs with various ensembles all over Europe and leads the cello ensemble ±12Vc. In October 2017, the cello ensemble of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben engaged him to perform in the Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.
After frequent performances of the Haydn C major Concerto Lionel had his debut concert in 2017 with Tchaikovsky’s Variations over a Rococo Theme in the Liederhalle with the Stuttgarter Philharmonie conducted by Dan Ettinger. This was followed by solo performances with the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra at the Rococo Theater Schwetzingen (2017), the Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra in Lithuania, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra at the Oberstdorfer Musiksommer 2018, the Youth Symphony Orchestra Tübingen with Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and the Elgar Cello Concerto, the Lüneburg Bach Orchestra (2018) aswell as the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 with the PreCollege Orchestra Zurich (2021).
He has given solo recitals at the Lucerne Festival, the Classical Spring Festival Mainau (broadcasted by SWR) and at the WDR3 Schlosskonzerte Herten. In June 2019 he toured Japan performing the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto with the Youth Chamber Orchestra Stuttgart. For 2019 Lionel has been nominated for the “Prix Young Artist of the Year” at the Festival of Nations in Bad Wörishofen, where he performed Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. In October 2019 he joined Mutter’s Virtuosi for a South America tournee.
During the 2020 pandemic he was a guest at Daniel Hope’s show Hope@Home, televised by ARTE, performing together with his pianist brother Demian Martin. Giving benefit concerts at church services with Anne-Sophie Mutter he took part in a campaign for independent musicians in need.
For 2021, Lionel Martin won the SWR2 New Talent Award after a successful admission procedure. The price includes a 3-year support with CD productions, concerts and broadcasting.
He received important inspiration from Martti Rousi, Jens-peter Maintz, Jan Vogler, Lynn Harrell and Yo-Yo Ma.
Lionel joined the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation as a scholarship holder in February 2017.
