Bio:

Will Martin is a New York City-based composer and vocalist whose work features intricately crafted harmonies, subtle nuances of timbre, and textures with vibrant inner life. His works aim to play with listeners’ perception and draw attention to subtle details of sound. His work draws influence from a wide variety of musical traditions, including jazz, free improvisation, and electronic music. 

Will’s music has been performed by acclaimed ensembles and artists, including JACK Quartet, TAK Ensemble, PHACE Ensemble, violinist Irvine Arditti, cellist Mariel Roberts Musa, and bassoonist Dana Jessen. His vocal sextet, The Bard Weeps, was programmed by Peabody Conservatory’s choral director Beth Willer on a program celebrating Ligeti’s 100th birthday. In recent years, his music has been premiered at international festivals such as VIPA (Spain), Domaine Forget de Charlevoix (QC/CA), the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival (Austria), and New Music on the Point (VT/USA). His piece Interobject, for jazz big band, was recently awarded a distinguished mention by the Gunther Schuller Society.

Will is pursuing a PhD in Composition at New York University (GSAS) as a MacCracken doctoral fellow. Will earned his MM in Composition from Peabody Conservatory, studying with Felipe Lara. Upon graduating from Peabody, he received the Otto Ortmann Award in Composition. He received his Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Sungji Hong and Kirsten Broberg.