Why I Chose Backun
"Backun Clarinets were a big and positive surprise for me. I was impressed by the sound quality, the huge tuning stability, the easy and homogeneous sound emission as well as the excellent ergonomics of its key system. They also have details in their construction that make a difference. I 100% recommend the entire Backun line of instruments."
About
Paulo Martins started his musical activity at Sociedade Artística Musical Fafense and Banda de Golães and later began his formal studies at Academy of Music José Atalaya - Fafe and continued them at Guimarães Conservatoire, in which he finished the course with the higher grade, 20. In 2012, he concluded his degree also with 20, at Minho University, coordinated by professor Dr. Vítor Matos.
He has taken part in several events as a musician, such as Young Musicians of Guimarães, playing solo alongside the Guimarães Conservatoire Orchestra, recorded to Antena 2 as a winner of the José Augusto Alegria Internacional Competition, International Clarinet Congresses in Madrid and Lisbon, ClarinetFest 2015 - Madrid (ICA), TransEuropéennes of Rouen Festival, Erudite Music’s Festival “Guimarães Allegro”, “Guimarães Sound Cinema” Festival, “Guimarães Jazz” Festival, International Festival of Religious Music of Guimarães, Cantania (Guimarães), Colloquium of Studies in Musical Interpretation – “Performance in context”, as well as some other national meetings.
As a solo performer, Martins has won multiple prizes since 2005: 1st prize of the 1st and 2nd Wind Competition Guimarães Conservatoire, 1st prize of International Music Competition – José Augusto Alegria Prize (senior category), 2nd prize of International Music Competition – Terras de La Sallete (senior category), 2nd prize of Clarinet Music Competition - Fafe (junior category), 3rd prize of Clarinet Music Competition - Paços Premium (junior category), 3rd prize of International Music Competition - Terras de La Salette (junior category), honorable mention of Competition “David Russel”. Was finalist of scholarship by Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe, finalist of Marco Fiorindo Competition (senior category) - Italy, and finalist of MusiCaldas Competition - Caldas da Rainha.
Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with renowned teachers such as Alessandro Carbonare, Carlos Alves, Chen Alevi, François Benda, Harri Mäki, Jordi Pons, Michel Lethiec, Matthias Schorn, Nuno Pinto, Ronald Spaendonck and Tibor Reman.
In terms of orchestras and chamber music, Martins has worked with Brian Mackay (Director of Musicamera Produções), Cristóbal Soler (Principal guest conductor of Navarra Symphony Orchestra), Christoph Koncz (2nd violin of Wiener Philharmoniker e Concertmaster of Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra), Christopher Bochmann (Principal conductor of Lisbon Youth Symphony Orchestra), Daniel Stabrawa (Berliner Philharmoniker concertmaster), David Bruchez-Lalli (Jugend Sinfonieorchester Zürich), Filipe Fonseca, Francesco Belli (Principal conductor of Cali Philarmonic Orchestra), Francisco Ferreira (Principal conductor of BSP), François Benda, Hans Casteleyn, Jean Marc Burfin, Joana Carneiro (Principal conductor of Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra), Luís Machado, Luís Pipa, Lluis Vila, Martin Baker, Oxana Schvets, Roberto Perez, Rui Pinheiro (Principal conductor of Southern Classical Orchestra), Toby Hoffman, Vítor Matos (Principal conductor of Guimarães Orchestra) and William Malambri. Also with orchestra, worked with solo artists such as Dora Rodrigues, Elina Gotsouliak, Elisabete Matos, Eliot Lawson, Felipe Belijar, Isolda Rubio, Justo Sanz, Lorena Valero, Luís Pipa, Pavel Gomzyakov, Ricardo Barceló, Sérgio Carolino, etc. In 2010, he recorded a CD named “Gloriam” with Amares Band, Vítor Matos as a conductor, later in 2013 recorded another CD called “OASIS” with the Portuguese Symphonic Band, Francisco Ferreira as a conductor and Felipe Belijar as a soloist.
In 2010, he collaborated for the first time with the Sinfonietta Orchestra of Braga, and has done so since 2020. In 2012, incorporated the Under-21 Orchestra of Guimarães 2012 - European Capital of Culture as 1st clarinet. In the year after, he made an appearance as a solo performer with the Academic Orchestra of Minho University for being the best instrument student that same year at that same university. In 2014, he incorporated the Gulbenkian internship for orchestra, Joana Carneiro as a conductor, as well as being invited to be a member of the Guimarães’ Orchestra, where he was soloist A. In 2015, Martins was a substitute as 1st clarinet at Bonfim Orchestra and in 2016 was a semi-finalist for Auxiliary Soloist Clarinet of Gulbenkian Orchestra.
In 2015, Martins finished his master’s degree in the teaching of music at Minho University, achieiving the grade 19 in his master thesis defense. He was a teacher at the Academy of Music Costa Cabral (Oporto) between 2014 and 2016 and is currently working as a teacher at Guimarães Conservatoire as a clarinet teacher and conductor, since 2012.
Recently, he published an article in the Portuguese Music Magazine DaCapo - Hábitos de preparação técnica e mental da performance and, in 2021, he published the Reeds Treatment Guide (portuguese and english version). Since 2021, he has been part of the Beta Testers Club of Silverstein Works and is also, since 2024, a Backun Artist and plays with Q Series Clarinets.
