Martina Bárta

Martina Barta (born in Prague in 1988) is a Czech singer and musician. In the years 1999–2007, she attended the Jan Neruda High School, where she studied classical music and played the French horn. After her graduation, she was accepted to study medicine. However, she decided to study singingat the department of popular music at the State Conservatory in Prague.

In 2010, she succeeded in the casting show Robin Hood – Cesta ke slává, which also gave her the opportunity to have her first theater experience in the lead female role of Lady Marianne in the musical Robin Hood.

In 2011, Barta was accepted to the Jazz Institut Universität der Künste in Berlin.

Martina Barta performed at several jazz festivals in Germany. During her time at foreign jazz workshops she had the opportunity to collaborate with musicians such as the Roy Hargrove Quintet , American drummer Gregory Hutchinson, American pianist Aaron Goldberg and others. In July 2016, after successfully completing her studies at the Jazz Institute Berlin, she participated in the Jazz in Port Townsend workshop in the USA under the leadership of the American double bassist, composer and arranger John Clayton.

During her studies, Martina Barta founded her own project called “Scotch and Soda” together with jazz singer Marcus Gartschock. In the years 2012-2016, she was a guest in the band of German rocker Henning Protzmann. As part of her graduation concert at the Jazz Institute Berlin, she founded the Czech-German project “Martina Barta & her Jazz Orchestra”.

In the Czech Republic, Martina has been performing as a soloist of Felix Slováček’s big band since 2011. She was also a member of the Prague funk formation Top Dream Company and collaborated with the Prague Film Orchestra. In 2015 and 2016, she participated in the “Sinatrology” project alongside Czech and foreign performers.

In addition, she collaborated with his sister Kristina Bárta, who is a Czech jazz pianist and composer. In 2016, their original song “Find Peace of Mind” was awarded in the Best Jazz Composition of 2016 at the Bohemia JazzFest.

On February 16, 2017, Czech Television announced that Martina Barta was going to represent the Czech Republic at the Eurovision Song Contest. She performed “My Turn” in the first semi-final. However, she did not make it to the finals.

In 2018, she took part in the competition Deutschland sucht den Superstar.

In July 2020, Martina Barta released her single “What a Wonderful World”. This cover version of the Louis Armstrong hit was recorded with Czech horn player Radek Baborák and Kristina Barta. A music video was produced for this in Berlin and Prague.

Martina Barta lives in Berlin. Since September 2021 she has been pursuing a master’s degree in music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, which she is expected to complete in May 2023.