Martin Barnett

Martin's musical training began at the age of 10 with piano lessons. Approaching his Standard Grade Music Examination, he was encouraged to pursue a second instrument and began playing the violin but a preference for the rich sonorities of the lower strings directed him to the viola.

After completing his Advanced Higher Music Certificate on the piano, he progressed towards a Higher National Diploma in Music Performance and Promotion. He then went on to study the viola at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music (Edinburgh Napier University) with Michael Beeston of the Edinburgh Quartet and subsequently became leader of the Edinburgh Napier University Chamber Orchestra's viola section.

The course helped him realise his enthusiasm for education and lead him to work towards the DipABRSM Teaching Diploma through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Martin graduated from the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music and completed a PGDE in Secondary Music Teaching from the University of Strathclyde in 2011. Martin maintains a busy instrumental teaching practice and works as a classroom teacher for Glasgow City Council.

He currently plays a viola by the Scottish luthier
Alex Darney (1890) and a viola d'amore by the Bulgarian luthier Hristo Georgiev (2010).