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biography

First violinist of the world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet, Martin Beaver remains one of Canada’s violin ambassador to the international concert stages. An active musician for recitals, orchestral and quartet performances, his membership with the Tokyo Quartet, sees Martin performing an extensive schedule exceeding 80 concerts each season. Highlights of recent seasons included a performance with pianist Alicia de Larrocha at Carnegie Hall, and an ambitious project that included performances of the complete string quartets and other chamber works of Brahms interspersed with four new pieces commissioned by the quartet. The premiere of each new piece took place in the native country of its composer: Joan Tower (United States), José Luis Turina (Spain), Fabio Vacchi (Italy) and Hikaru Hayashi (Japan). The members of the Tokyo have served on the faculty of the Yale School of Music since 1976 as quartet-in-residence.

As a soloist, Martin has been concerto artist with orchestras around the world, including the San Francisco Symphony, the National Orchestra of Belgium, Mexico City Orchestra, the Portuguese Radio Orchestra and all major orchestras of Canada. Martin has collaborated with many esteemed artists including violinist Pinchas Zukerman and eminent conductors such as Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Raymond Leppard, Leon Fleisher, and Charles Dutoit. In recitals, Martin enchanted audiences with his rich, melodic tones and challenging repertoire in cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Honolulu, Brussels, London and Edinburgh. Also remarkable as a chamber musician, he has captured the attention of peers, audiences and critics at such international festivals as the Ravinia Festival (Rising Stars Series), Concerts Under the Dome (Chicago), Seattle Chamber Music Festival, OstBelgien Festival (Belgium), Music in Blair Atholl (Scotland) and at all major Canadian festivals.

A recipient of many awards, Martin was the first to be awarded the use of the 1729 `ex-Heath' Guarneri del Gesù violin on loan from The Canada Council for the Arts-Musical Instrument Bank. He has also been the recipient of the Canada Council's prestigious Virginia P. Moore Award for being the most promising young Canadian classical artist in 1993. He is also a Silver Medal winner at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, and awarded top prizes at the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and the 1991 Montreal International Music Competition. As a recording artist, Martin has also recorded for the Rene Gailly, Naim Audio, NAXOS and both of CBC’s Record labels.

As a member of the Tokyo String Quartet, Mr. Beaver is currently performing on one of the instruments of "The Paganini Quartet", a group of renowned Stradivarius instruments named after the legendary virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, who acquired and played these instruments during the 19th century. The instruments have been loaned to the quartet by the Nippon Music Foundation, when they were purchased from Corcoran Gallery of the Art in Washington D.C.
 

Mr. Beaver will be available for engagements on a limited schedule.

- June 2006 -
 

repertoire

discography

reviews

"All were delivered with aplomb by Beaver, with firm, warm tone and disarming ease in the passage work."
- FREE PRESS, Winnipeg

"His playing is energetic and musical at the same time...his attack is forceful, his effects strong...no easy sentimentality, flawless accuracy of tone backing up a flawless technique."
- JOURNAL et INDEPENDENCE

"His tone was beautiful and vibrant throughout, and his playing was consistenly smooth and expressive through all the difficulties and transitions in the [Brahms Concerto]."
- ERIE DAILY TIMES

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