Principal horn - the BBC Symphony and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Martin Owen is frequently invited as principal horn by most of the London orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic or by the European Chamber Orchestra. With an intense solo career and chamber music activity, he is invited to festivals worldwide. His debut was at Wigmore Hall in 1997 with the “Serenade for tenor, horn and string orchestra” by Benjamin Britten with tenor Philip Langridge and the Guildhall Strings ensemble. Since 1998, Martin Owen performed for 10 years as principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and now he is the principal horn of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and of the Berlin Philharmonic.
His solo repertoire includes worksby Mozart, Richard Strauss, Schumann, Michael Haydn, Weber, Messiaen, Britten, Gordon Jacob, Malcolm Arnold, Elliott Carter and Oliver Knussen, which he played with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, Orquesta Nacional de España, the Halle Orchestra , the New World Symphony, Ensemble Modern, Kyiv Soloists, the Scottish Ensemble and the English Sinfonia.
In 2007, he made his debut at the Proms with the BBC Philharmonic and two years later performed “Concerto at the Proms” by Knussen, conducted by the composer. The concert was broadcast live on BBC television and radio. In 2008, Owen made his debut at the Barbican Hall with the London premiere of the Concerto for horn by Elliott Carter (BBCSO/Knussen) for the composer’s centenary. The recording of the concert has been issued by Bridge Records.
Owen’s discography includes the Concerto for horn by Mozart (RPO classic label), the “Serenade for Tenor, Horn and String Orchestra” by Benjamin Britten with tenor Toby Spence and the Scottish Ensemble (edited by Linn records for Harmonia Mundi) the Schubert Octet (Wigmore Hall Live label), “Konzertstuck” by Schumann (BBC Music label), “Sinfoniaconcertante” by Danzi with Marriner and the Cadaques Orchestra (Trito label), ”Four Seasonal Nocturnes” by Elms with Cleobury/RPO (Dutton label). He was asked to play at more than 300 soundtracks, including those of the movies James Bond, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean.
The young generation of musicians enjoys the guidance of Professor Martin Owen at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
