MARTIN BINKS was born in Knaresborough and educated at Rutherford Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne and at Taunton's School, Southampton.   He read for the Honours Degree of B.Mus. at the University of Birmingham and followed this with a further year at University College, Cardiff.     It was whilst at Birmingham that he began conducting, organising his own concerts with the University Orchestra.  He studied conducting with Sir Charles Groves and Louis Frémaux whilst they were the Conductors of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra).
In   September   1970   Martin   Binks   became Conductor of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and up to now has conducted one hundred and ninety concerts.  During his time as conductor the repertoire has been very wide, from the early eighteenth century to the present day. Perhaps particularly noticeable has been the inclusion in the programmes of much French music, with nearly all the orchestral music of Berlioz being performed. As Artistic Director and Conductor of West Riding Opera, he has conducted over two hundred performances of thirty five operas in Leeds Civic Theatre. Several of these operas have been given their first ever production in the North of England, including most notably Weber's Euryanthe and Oberon, Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys, Delibes' Lakmé, Bellini's Il Pirata, Marschner's The Vampire, and Lortzing's The Poacher.  He conducts a production of Beatrice and Benedict in April 2003 as part of the celebrations of the bicentenary of the birth of Berlioz.
He is a guest conductor of the Oslo Conservatoire Orchestra and of York Opera.
In recognition of his services to French music with the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and West Riding Opera, the French Government appointed him Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1993. He received the insignia from the French Ambassador in May 1994.   His interests include cricket - he plays with Arthington C.C.  He is married with two sons.