Robert Martin currently serves as Concertmaster of the MSO and is a member of the U.S. Army Strings, an ensemble of the United States Army Band, also known as “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC. His extensive and diverse musical background includes performances with the Philadelphia, Richmond, Delaware, Lancaster, and Princeton Symphony Orchestras, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Symphony in C. He has collaborated with touring artists such as Julie Andrews, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Bernadette Peters, Barry Manilow, Elvis Costello, Patti LaBelle, Luciano Pavarotti, Josh Groban, and K.D. Lang.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Robert Martin began his violin studies at age three with Rochelle Walton, a former teaching assistant to famed pedagogue Ivan Galamian. He later studied with Julian Meyer and Sylvia Ahramjian at Temple University’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians. At age 13, Martin made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra as the winner of the Albert M. Greenfield competition. He continued his studies with Zvi Zeitlin at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, where he served as Concertmaster of the Eastman Philharmonia and regularly performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Martin’s extensive and diverse experience includes performances with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, Orchestra 2001, and the Baltimore and Richmond Symphony Orchestras. He has been a resident artist at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and at the Bravo! Vail Valley, Skaneateles, and Vermont Mozart festivals. A member of The U.S. Army Strings since 2011, Martin has performed at numerous high-level diplomatic, political, and military events in Washington, D.C. He served as Concertmaster of the U.S. Army Orchestra from 2015 to 2021. Previously, he served as Principal Second Violin of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.
