Martin Roscoe (born 3 August 1952) is an English classical pianist. He performs as a concerto soloist, as a recitalist and as a chamber musician.
Early life Martin Roscoe was born in Halton, Runcorn, Cheshire. He first became serious about music at the age of seven after being "bowled over" by a performance at The Proms of the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz on 19 August 1959. He later went on to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music with Gordon Green and Marjorie Clementi.
Awards he won early in his career included the Davas Gold Medal in 1973, the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1974, the British Liszt Piano Competition in 1976 and he was a prizewinner in the Sydney International Piano Competition in 1981.
Career
Roscoe has developed close links with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Manchester Camerata. He has played as a soloist under many of the world's leading conductors, including Simon Rattle, Kent Nagano, Libor Pešek, Luciano Berio, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Andrew Litton and Mark Wigglesworth. Roscoe gives regular recitals at the Wigmore Hall. Roscoe has appeared in BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts on six occasions and has made more than 300 broadcasts with the BBC. He has an international reputation and has played in many countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, South America, Australia, USA and France.
As a student, he formed a piano duo with Peter Donohoe and they have performed and made recordings together since. Their recording of music by Gershwin on Carlton Classics was chosen as Editor's Choice in the August 1997 issue of Gramophone. As a chamber musician he has performed with Tasmin Little, Emma Johnson, Steven Isserlis, Michael Collins, Steven Osborne, the Leopold String Trio and the Chilingirian, Vanbrugh, Tale, Schidlof, Carmina, Brodsky, Endellion and Sorrel String Quartets. The details of Roscoe's recordings are shown in the table below.
Before becoming a teacher at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Roscoe had held positions at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. He is the artistic director of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival and the Ribble Valley International Piano Week. He has been granted an honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Hull.
Discography
YearTitleComposerRecord CompanyReferenceOther artistes1977SilentiumArvo PärtEMI Classics56243421993Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor, Op. 5Piano Concerto No 2 in B minor, Op. 42DohnányiHyperionCDA66684BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra1993Rodeo: Four Dance EpisodesCoplandASV PlatinumPLT 8504Michael Collins, clarinetVanbrugh Quartet1994Dolly Suite Souvenirs de BayreuthFauréHyperionCDA66911/4Kathryn Stott, piano1994Dance Suite, Op. 28Piano Concerto, Op. 26Variations, Op. 36Bernard StevensMarco Polo8.223480Ireland National Symphony Orchestra1994Fratres (1980); Spiegel im SpiegelArvo PärtEMI Classics for Pleasure5758052Tasmin Little, violin1995Piano Works, Volume 1SzymanowskiNaxos8.5530161995Quintet for Piano and Strings, Op. 67 Trio for Piano and Strings Sonata for Viola/Cello and PianoAmy BeachRebecca Clarke Rebecca ClarkeASV932Endellion String Quartet1996Piano Works, Volume 2SzymanowskiNaxos8.5533001996Piano Works, Volume 3SzymanowskiNaxos8.5538671997Rhapsody in BluePorgy and Bess FantasiaGershwinCarlton Classics30368 01297Peter Donohoe, piano1998Piano Concerto No 1 in F major, Op. 10Piano Concerto No 2 in C major, Op. 24Ignaz BrüllHyperionCDA67069BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra1998Piano SonatasClementiCRD RecordsCRD 35001998Violin Sonata in E minorViolin Sonata No. 2 in D minorElgarBaxGlobal Music NetworkGMNC 0113Tasmin Little, violin1998Works for cello and pianoRachmaninoffBlack BoxBBM1044Moray Welsh, cello2001Peacock PieVariousHyperionCDA67316Guildhall Strings2001Piano Concerto in B flat minor, Op. 27Piano Concerto in B flat major, Op. 30Robert FuchsFriedrich KielHyperionCDA67354BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra2002Concerto for two pianos and orchestraBlissNaxos8.557146Peter Donohoe, pianoRoyal Scottish National Orchestra2002Music for two pianosRachmaninoffNaxos8.557062Peter Donohoe, piano2002The BerserkingJames MacMillanChandosCHAN 10092BBC Philharmonic2002Warsaw Concerto fromDangerous MoonlightRichard Addinsell(arr. Roy Douglas)ChandosCHAN 10046BBC Philharmonic2003Visions de l'AmenMessiaenHyperionCDA67366Steven Osborne, piano2003Piano transcriptionsBach, transcribed Samuil FeinbergHyperionCDA674682003Phantasy, Piano Quartet in F minorBridgeNaxos8.557283Maggini Quartet2003Piano Works, Volume 4SzymanowskiNaxos8.5571682004From The Unforgettable Year 1919Shostakovich ChandosCHAN 10361BBC Philharmonic2005Piano Quintet, Op. 57Shostakovich ChandosCHAN 10329Sorrel Quartet 2005Ballade No. 1BalladeKreislerianaChopinRobert KeeleySchumannDunelmDRD02472006Music for two pianosBaxNaxos8.570413Ashley Wass, piano2006Violin Sonata in D, Op. 12, No 1Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2Violin Sonata in G, Op. 96BeethovenASV GoldGLD4023Peter Cropper, violin2011Highland ConcertoNormandy (Symphonic Variations) ConcertstückSomervell &CowenHyperion RecordsCDA67837BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Notes