- 1940: Born in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA).
- 1953: His parents buy him his first double bass, noting his interest in music and, specifically, in the sound of the bass string.
- 1975: Releases his first album: Schubert Octet For Strings And Winds, Op. 166 (RCA Red Seal) with Jack Brymer, clarinet, Martin Gatt, bassoon, Barry Tuckwell, horn, and The Cleveland Quartet.
- 1980: Begins his interest in the figure of Giovanni Bottesini, as he focused on his career as a soloist and, in particular, on the works of this double bassist and composer. Today he is probably the world’s foremost expert on Bottesini.
- 1981: Began his career as a luthier, learning from the leading restorer and expert Andrew Dipper, a former teacher at the Antonio Stradivari International Violin Making School in Cremona (Italy). Since then, Thomas Martin has produced more than 160 double basses under his own label, many of them for bassists of renowned orchestras around the world.
- 1984: Appearance of his second album — the first of the six he would end up dedicating to Bottesini; a celebrated vinyl entitled The Romantic Double Bass (ASV) with pianist Anthony Halstead that would be distinguished as Recording of the Year by Gramophone Magazine.
- 1986: Bottesini’s second album: A Showcase of Works for Double Bass (ASV), with Emma Johnson, clarinet, José Luis García, violin, and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andrew Litton, also awarded Recording of the Year by the Sunday Times.
- 1987: Re-records the Schubert Octet (EMI), this time with Andrew Marriner, clarinet, Felix Warnock, bassoon, Jonathan Williams, horn, and the Chilingirian Quartet.
- 1994: Bottesini’s third album, now on CD: Passioni Amorose and Other Works (ASV), with Moray Welsh, cello, and the London Symphony conducted by Franco Petracchi.
- 1999: Bottesini’s fourth album: Carnival of Venice and Other Works (ASV), with Jacquelyn Fugelle, soprano, and Anthony Halstead, piano, which would repeat as Recording of the Year by Gramophone Magazine.
- 2008: Naxos regroups Thomas Martin’s previous recordings for ASV with music by Bottesini, and releases in April, August, and October volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the new Bottesini Collection.
- 2008: Officially establishes the company Thomas and George Martin Violin Makers Ltd in Oxfordshire, thus including his son George — who had already been working with Thomas for some years — officially in the management of the workshop.
- 2009: Volume 4 of the Bottesini Collection (Naxos).
- 2010: With recordings made with double bassist Timothy Cobb and pianist Christopher Oldfather at the Concert Hall of Purchase College, State University of New York years earlier — in October 2006 and February 2007 — Naxos releases Volume 5 of the Bottesini Collection.
- 2013: Release of his album Bottesini: Messa da Requiem (Naxos), this time at the baton, conducting the London Philharmonic, chorus and soloists.
Content Featuring Thomas Martin
- Interview: “You Have to Start With ‘I Don’t Know How to Do This,’ and Then the Music Starts Teaching You Something”
- Story: Luthier Thomas Martin
Links
- Website: thomasmartin.co.uk
- Spotify: Thomas Martin
- YouTube: Thomas & George Martin Violin Makers