History

Martin Lopez began his violin career at the age of three, under the guidance of world-renowned violinist Betty Haag. At age 5, Martin made his first concert tour in Europe with Mrs. Haag’s performing group. At age of 6 he performed solo with the Chicago Symphony at their Petite Promenade Concert Series where he was referred to as a “child prodigy”. Martin subsequently toured Europe with the group, performing in France, Germany, Italy, and at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II.

In 2002 Martin Lopez was recommended for a position with the Chicago Public School’s inner city program. Soon he convinced the director to let him begin a program for two-year-old children. As the program flourished, Mr. Lopez was put in charge of six teachers and conducted repertoire classes with 100 students from 20 different schools.

A year later Martin was offered a teaching position for Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts.

In 2004, Mr. Lopez formed his own school in McHenry County, Illinois: The Martin Lopez Academy. Martin is dedicated to teaching children starting at age 2 ½ as well as teens and adults. In 2008, he established a non-for profit organization 4 Strings Attached, which made their first tour to Guadalajara, Mexico, where the group appeared on national television, followed by Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida, multiple cities in Bulgaria, Springfield, IL, Dollywood in Tennessee and international tour in 2017 to Italy, where the students performed in Rome, Florence and Cremona,