Martin Hindmarsh

Tenor Martin Hindmarsh has had a long career in music and for much of that time combined concert singing with lecturing in music at the University of Sheffield. He grew up in a family where the possession of a singing voice was the norm and in an environment, the Salvation Army, dominated by music making. It was not until Martin had already embarked upon his academic career that it was suggested to him that his voice had some potential. Within a short while he was both singing roles and conducting operas for a local amateur opera company, the South Yorkshire Opera. Professional engagements soon followed with choral societies initially in the North of England, then throughout the UK and eventually across the world, both as soloist and a professional chorister. Martin joined the BBC Northern Singers and made numerous recordings and concert appearances with them, often taking solos. He gave the first broadcast performance of the Cantata for tenor and chorus Walden by David Gow and has also appeared as a soloist with the BBC Philharmonic and the Northern Sinfonia. He gave the first performance and made the premiere recording of Unholy Sonnets by Phillip Wilby with Grimethorpe Colliery Band. In 1994 Martin auditioned for the chorus of the Bayreuth Festival. This was life-changing, because not only did Martin spend the following fifteen or so summers singing Wagner at Bayreuth, he also met his wife, mezzo soprano Jennifer Westwood there.

Throughout all this time, Martin was balancing the demands of a University lecturing with an increasingly busy performing schedule.  In 2007 he took the decision to leave his academic post and concentrate on a full-time freelance career. In addition to his solo work, he now directs the Maidstone Choral Union and has sung regularly with the choruses of The Royal Opera and English National Opera and with the BBC Singers. He is a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace and has had a number of his settings and carols performed there by the choir.

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