Martínez Botana will release an album of Felix Mendelssohn’s string quartet repertoire, in arrangements replacing the cello with double bass
Spanish double bassist Uxía Martínez Botana has signed with Fuga Libera for a series of recordings featuring string quartet repertoire.
Her upcoming album, Mendelssohn X Files, features string quartet works by Felix Mendelssohn which replace the cello and place the double bass at the heart of the ensemble.
Martínez Botana became principal double bassist of Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica at the age of 23. She describes this as a formative time in her career, where she learnt to think outside the rules of bass playing, laying the foundation for her to change perceptions of the role of the double bass in chamber music.
In addition to her solo career, she has performed as principal double bassist of the Weinberger Chamber Orchestra and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. Martínez Botana has been a professor at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in Barcelona since 2018.
Martínez Botana’s next recording project will feature music by Fazil Say, including the world premiere recording of the ‘Immigrants’ Trio, which was written for her.
Mendelssohn X Files will be released on Fuga Libera on 19 September 2025.
Read: Bass instinct: a new generation of double bass players
Read: Always by my side: double bassists (and a viola da gambist) reveal what’s in their case
The number one source for playing and teaching books, guides, CDs, calendars and back issues of the magazine.
In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.
In the second volume of The Strad’s Masterclass series, soloists including James Ehnes, Jennifer Koh, Philippe Graffin, Daniel Hope and Arabella Steinbacher give their thoughts on some of the greatest works in the string repertoire. Each has annotated the sheet music with their own bowings, fingerings and comments.
The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.
No comments yet