Martin Johnson
Soloist, Chamber Musician, Principal Cello and Teacher, Martin Johnson is one of Ireland’s leading ‘Cellists since the millennium. He studied at the Royal College of Music in the 1990’s, London under the direction of legendary Pablo Casals student Anna Shuttleworth and Andrew Shulman, Principal Cello – Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
In 2000, Martin joined the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra at the age of twenty-four and served as their Section Leader ‘Cello from 2004 for a further twenty-one years – broadcasting most of the orchestral cello solo repertoire to date. In 2006 Martin was invited to become a member of the World Philharmonic Orchestra and is also a regular Guest Principal with the major orchestras in Ireland and the UK. In the summer of 2025 Martin was appointed to the post of Solo Cellist for the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and continues to concurrently enjoy a very busy career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher.
Martin made his Irish debut as a soloist with the RTÉ NSO in January 2008, performing Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op.33 and has appeared as soloist with the Orchestra on more than twenty occasions since then - live solo broadcasts across Ireland and the UK have included concerti by Frank Corcoran (recorded for LyricFM CD154, 2017), Fauré (recorded for NAXOS Disc 8.574587,) Grainne Mulvey (recorded for Métier Mex 77129), Anne-Marie O’Farrell, Bloch, Elgar, Schumann, Tavener, Tchaikovsky, Joseph Haydn, Lalo, Saint-Saëns, Tippett, Delius, Corelli, Ibert, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and notably Richard Strauss’s finest tone poem ‘Don Quixote’ op.35 for ‘Cello and Orchestra with the RTÉ NSO and Maestro Pascal Rophé at Ireland’s National Concert Hall, Dublin.
In January of this year and to critical acclaim, Martin gave the World Premiere of “Hostile Summits” - a brand new Cello Concerto by the extraordinarily talented young Northern Irish Composer Anselm McDonnell (LSO Composer in Residence) recently commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland /National Concert Hall (to be recorded in the Autumn of 2026). Later in the year will also see a series of Beethoven and Brahms Recitals with Solo Pianist Marianna Prjevalskaya, Ravel’s Piano Trio and Duo Sonate with Lynda O’Connor and Thérèse Fahy as part of the NCH Chamber Music series, further performances with Solstice Ensemble and Martin’s debut in the Soloist-Directs series with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Martin is a Professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with a flourishing class, a University College Dublin Creative Fellow, a Countess of Munster Scholar; an IT President’s Prize Winner and has been supported by the Musical Instruments Loan Fund as well as Music Network’s Music Capital Scheme in Ireland. He plays a fine cello by Thomas Kennedy of London c.1810 and an exquisite bow by legendary archetier Eugene Sartory made for the World Exhibition in Paris 1908.