Violinist Christopher Martin is astounded to think that he has played in the Grand Rapids Symphony for nearly 20 years. The Worthington, Ohio native began his violin studies at the age of seven with Columbus Symphony violinist Winifred Shera and continued his musical training with Robert Culver, Michael Davis and Jens Ellerman receiving performance degrees from the Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In 1988, the year he joined the Grand Rapids Symphony he also became a faculty member of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina where he played and taught for 12 summers. Mr. Martin subsequently collaborated with EMF colleagues forming the Fugacci Piano Quartet in Chicago, which would eventually perform on the prestigious Music in the Loft concert series. In Grand Rapids he continues to pursue his love of chamber music with Symphony colleagues in two groups, Ensemble Montage, devoted to performing works for varying combinations of winds, strings and piano, with the occasional percussion instrument, voice, banjo, or accordion, and the Gandharva Piano Quartet. He also performs in the Symphony's Super Nova Quintet, which performs for elementary school students. He was a featured performer with the Symphony in the Bottesini Grand Duo with bassist Peter Spring, a duet with Bobby McFerrin, and Vivaldi's Winter concerto from The Four Seasons on Symphony in the Schools Concerts.

He is currently playing an Italian violin of mysterious provenance on loan from Grand Rapids Symphony bass player Kevin Flannery. The violin belonged to Mr. Flannery's mother Elaine Kjerstad, who received it at age size from her red haired grandmother. It's thought the violin was made between 1650 and 1700.

Chris lives in an 1888 Heritage Hill home with his wife Laura and their pets, a Great Dane, "Billie" and two cats, "Frankie" and "Florence".

Don't miss Chris' solo performances February 1-3»