Zoë Martlew

Virtuoso cellist, performer, cabaret artist and writer of words and music, Zoë Martlew performs around the world as soloist and with contemporary music ensembles, rock, pop, improvisation, film, electronica and multi-media artists including Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Mira Calix, Dagmar Krause, Radiohead, Plaid, Impropera, Marc Ribot/Ceramic Dog, Signe Klejs and “Concert for George” with Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Ravi Shankar.

She has worked extensively in dance and theatre as composer/solo performer, including collaborations with NYCB dancer/choreographer Antonia Franceschi and Ballet Black at the Lindbury Studio, Royal Opera house, POP8 Giant Olive Theatre; Ballet Boyz Encore; comedy/opera improvisation Impropera and Richard Siegal’s experimental dance theatre group The Bakery.

She won the 2012 DIVA (Danish International Visiting Artist) residency award in Copenhagen, developing her own music and theatre pieces alongside collaborations with Danish composers, artists and musicians, and the 2011 Katherine McGillervray Award to develop her one-woman cabaret show Revue Z, which is now playing in the UK and abroad.

Zoë was a judge on BBC2 TV’s Maestro and Young Musician of the Year; is a regular commentator/presenter for the BBCTV Proms and Radio 3ʼs Hear and Now; BBC2 Newsnight Review and was on the UK panel for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

She is much in demand for educational activities, giving workshops in schools, prisons, universities and music conservatoires around the world, coaches the cello section of the National Youth Orchestra, has given masterclasses at Dartington and Pro Corda summer schools, and is a regular jury member for composition and string competitions, including the Royal Philharmonic Society annual composition awards.

She studied at the Royal College and Academy of Music, Clare College, Cambridge and the Chopin Academy in Warsaw. She is naturally blonde and draws the line at Dutch techno.