Marina Martins, a promising talent among the new generation of Brazilian soloists, has earned accolades in various countries, notably the recent Exilarte Prize in Austria in 2021, as well as the Young Soloists Competition and Eleazar de Carvalho Medal from the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2018.
In her most recent projects in 2022, she recorded Claudio Santoro's Cello Concerto with the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Neil Thomson for the "Music of Brazil" series by Naxos. In 2023, she performed as a soloist with the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Goiás Philharmonic, Paraná Symphony Orchestra, and others. Additionally, she collaborated in chamber music with pianist Lucas Thomazinho, violinist Emmanuele Baldini, and the Osesp Quartet at Sala São Paulo. Marina has performed under distinguished conductors such as Neil Thomson, Cláudio Cruz, Ligia Amadio, Carlos Prazeres, and Isaac Karabtchevsky, among others.
Born in 1999 in New Zealand, Marina moved to Brazil at the age of five, her parents' home country. Her pursuit of musical development led her to live in the United States, England, Germany, and Switzerland. She studied with Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. She currently resides in Switzerland and is studying under Danjulo Ishizaka at the Musik Akademie Basel.
An avid chamber musician, Marina has had the honor of performing with renowned professionals across Europe. She has collaborated with Pieter Schoeman, concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Wenzel Fuchs, principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic; and Stefan Mendl, pianist of the Vienna Trio, among others. Her ensemble, Trio Basilea, won first prize at the 2023 Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition in Lucerne and has been invited for a residency at Musikdorf Ernen in 2025.
Marina plays a cello by Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae,’ crafted around 1700, recently loaned by a private collector in Scotland.
reviews and testimonials
"Marina Martins plays the solo part with expressive power and technical finesse, and the Goiás Philharmonic play brilliantly for Neil Thomson throughout the entirety of this challenging programme."
Andrew Farach-Colton
© 2023 Gramophone
Gramophone, November 2023
"Martins finds points of relaxed extroversion in the finale, which is driven forward by a native ostinato rhythm… The strings of the Goiás Philharmonic are put through their paces by the violent contrasts, deliquescent forms and quarter-tone harmony of the Three Abstractions."
© 2023 The Strad
The Strad, October 2023
"Marina Martins plays beautifully, with commitment and conviction. This is a major work by any counts."
Hubert Culot
MusicWeb International
"I heard an extraordinary young cellist over the weekend, Marina Martins. I was part of the judging panel for the auditions of young soloists at the Two Moors Festival. Marina played the first movement of the Arpeggione Sonata and the March from Britten's Sonata. What an extraordinary talent! I was literally speechless... she is truly special. Besides all her qualities as a musician and cellist, Marina has a spontaneous, striking, and engaging stage presence, and seems to have a rare combination of uncommon intelligence and an instinctive ability to connect with the music. One thing is certain, she will go far..."
Gaetan Le Divelec
Vice President of Artistic Administration
Atlanta Symphony
"Marina Martins has formidable musicality and a strong and charming stage personality. Her talent and love for the cello, combined with her dedication and seriousness, have already made her a cellist with great technical mastery and expression."
Pieter Wispelwey
Cellist
"Great musicians are like this: beyond the cultivated discipline, those years and years of technical development, they maintain a naturalness that seems to come from within the music itself. At the same time, they have something of their own, original and unmistakable. Marina Martins plays like Marina Martins from the first to the last note, no matter the repertoire. She combines intensity with discretion; and seems to do everything with a serene joy, in a way that now becomes associated with her. At just 20 years old, she is already one of the great Brazilian soloists. One can well imagine how much she still has to offer in music, to our great fortune."
Arthur Nestrovski
Former Artistic Director, OSESP | São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra
"Marina Martins is a young cellist to watch. At a tender age, she already plays with sophistication, emotional intensity, and technical mastery. A rising star on the international horizon!"
Mark Churchill
Senior Advisor, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Director Emeritus, New England Conservatory Preparatory School
"The concert was fabulous. When Marina played, the audience was mesmerized. It's as if she embodied the music."
Nadja Venezian
Audience Member
Sala São Paulo | Haydn Concert with OSESP, 2018