French-New Zealand cellist Martin Roberts is a sought-after teacher and performer, who has been based in Tāmaki Makaurau since 2020.

Martin studied classical performance at the universities of Canterbury and Auckland, and continued his development at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen, Germany. Alongside his postgraduate studies, he attended several wonderful summer schools, including the Academy International d’Été De Nice in France, the Internationale Sommerakademie Schwetzingen-Worms in Germany, and the Tuckamore Music Festival in Canada.

A lover of travel, Martin is very thankful that his music has taken him to many countries with wonderful people, with performances in Italy, Switzerland, China and throughout New Zealand and Germany. Following his studies, Martin became an artist on roster for the Lincoln Center Stage programme aboard Holland America Line ships, and was fortunate enough to spend four months travelling throughout the Caribbean and Central America, giving daily chamber music performances.

Since returning to New Zealand in 2020, Martin has kept up an active musical life with regular performances around Tāmaki Makaurau in ensembles such as the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Manukau Symphony Orchestra, Bach Musica, Pipers Sinfonia, Ensemble East, the newly formed Auckland Chamber Music Collective, and as part of his own string quartet, the Arcus Quartet, which he runs with his wife and 2021 Ockham Collective resident Joella Pinto.

Martin maintains a full teaching schedule, dividing his time between Saint Mary’s College, Mount Albert Grammar, Dilworth School, the Epsom Music School and, of course, at the Ockham precincts.

Outside music, Martin thoroughly enjoys all things photography and documenting his travels around the world. In his elusive free time, you’ll often find him walking around with a camera glued to his eye.