L'hôtesse (your hostess)
Martine (née Soukal) began playing the violin at 7, started the viola a short time later
and played her way through all the Birmingham Schools' Saturday
morning orchestras as principal viola.
Reading Music and Biology at Keele University, Martine had by this time
specialised in playing the viola and went on to do a Post Graduate Diploma in
Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with the renowned
viola player and pedagogue, Roger Bigley.
A member of the ambitious Birmingham-based Almira String Quartet for several
years, performances included a live recital on ClassicFM, appearances through
Live Music Now and performances at prestigious venues and festivals throughout
England and Wales.
An eternal student at heart, Martine then studied law in Leeds becoming a
qualified solicitor in 2000.
Marrying Calum and raising a family resulted in less time practising - music and
law - but Martine still freelanced regularly with various professional ensembles
before embarking on this new French adventure.
An episode of A Touch of Frost featured a string quartet visiting Denton: Martine can be seen and heard playing the mesmerising opening of the slow movement of Dvořák's "American" and one of Janáček's string quartets too.
Martine is relishing being surrounded once again by wonderful chamber music; of
all musical styles, the string quartet repertoire is her clear favourite.