Peter Martin (born. 1980) is rapidly becoming one of the leading marimbists of his generation. Captivating audiences both in the U.S. and abroad with his sensational musicianship and virtuosity, Peter's eclectic performances encompass a wide variety of music for the instrument including works from the standard marimba repertory, new music he himself has commissioned from leading composers of the new millennium, and arrangements of western classical works for piano, guitar, and other instruments.
Mr. Martin won first prize at the Percussive Arts Society 2003 Solo Marimba Competition, an award that has established him as a major figure in the art of solo percussion. Mr. Martin has appeared all over the world as a soloist and chamber musician. He was a guest artist at the 2002 Jeju Summer Music Festival in Jeju, Korea as well as the Seoul National University along with the Exit 9 Percussion Group, of which he was a founding member. In June of 2005, Mr. Martin will be a guest artist at the prestigious Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Mr. Martin regularly appears as a clinician and guest performer at universities and music schools across the country. Educational appearances of Peter Martin coming in 2005 include a series of clinics and concerts in the Midwest including Northeastern Illinois University and St. Cloud State University where he will be giving the premiere performance of his most recent commission for solo marimba with sequenced audio accompaniment by American composer Paul Failla. Mr. Martin is a clinician and Artist/Endorser for Kp3/Malletech Instruments (the youngest artist on their roster) and Malletech Mallets/Avedis Zildjian Co.
Active in the field of new music, Peter Martin has been involved with the commissioning and/or premiere performances of a wealth of new works for marimba and percussion. In November of 2003, Peter gave the U.S, premiere performance of FACES, a work for solo marimba with percussion accompaniment by Swedish composer Tobias Brostrom. Other composers whom have written music specifically for Mr. Martin include David Skidmore, Julian Mario Darpino, Shawn Edward Hansen, Timothy Sullivan, and many others. In the Spring of 2005 Mr. Martin will premiere and record a new work by Owen Clayton Condon for two marimbas, to be released by the Resonator Records label and Northwestern University. Also this upcoming year, Peter will be premiering a new work for solo marimba and percussion ensemble currently being composed by Brett William Dietz through a joint commission between Mr. Martin and the Exit 9 Percussion Group.
Peter Martin graduated with the prestigious Program Honors Award in 2004 from Northwestern University where he received his M.M. in Percussion Performance and Literature, studying with world-renowned percussion soloist Michael Burritt as well as Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionist James Ross. Mr. Martin has also studied with She-e Wu at Rutgers University as well as marimba virtuoso Leigh Howard Stevens.