João Carlos Martins

Steinway Artist João Carlos Martins is an acclaimed Brazilian classical pianist and conductor, who has performed with leading orchestras in United States, Europe, and Brazil.

A celebrated interpreter of Bach, Martins devoted himself to recording Bach's complete works for keyboard on the Concord Concerto and Labor Records labels. His collection of the complete keyboard works of Bach - a 20 CD edition released on the Concord Concerto label, and the most extensive series of Bach keyboard recordings by a single pianist - resulted in spectacular reviews throughout the world, including feature articles and cover stories in some of the most prestigious music magazines. The Boston Globe characterized him as "The most exciting player of Bach on the modern piano to emerge since Glenn Gould," and National Public Radio described Martins' Bach as "in the same tradition of, say, Furtwängler's Beethoven or Bernstein's Brahms. The pianist has placed such a vivid stamp on the material that it is no longer the composer's alone… It's literally breathtaking.”

For decades Martins has been engaged as a soloist with the Boston Symphony and Los Angeles, among other ensembles. The New York Times wrote, "Maestro Martins has lived a life of renown, challenge, tenacity and triumph sufficient to fill a lively memoir".

After his career as a concert pianist was derailed by injuries and accidents, he successfully reinvented himself as a conductor, leading hundreds of performances worldwide including acclaimed concerts at Carnegie Hall. He was appointed Brazil’s Secretary of Culture in 1981. He is a conductor at the English Chamber Orchestra and the Bachiana Filarmonica Orchestra. He has also founded social programs for underprivileged youth in Latin America.

João Carlos Martins is a Steinway Artist