Benjamin Martin
Benjamin Martin (b.1998) is a composer, singer, and musical collaborator based in Chicago, IL. While interested in all manner of expressive media, his love of the human voice, the written word, and musical storytelling is often at the center of his compositional orbit.
Martin’s works have been performed by a number of ensembles throughout the country, including the Grossman Ensemble, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago Fellows, NEXUS Chamber Music, TAK Ensemble, Blackbox New Music, Lake Forest College choir and orchestra, and Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra, among others. His work has also been featured at a number of summer festivals, including New Music on the Point, VIVO Music Columbus (as the winner of the 2021 VIVO Innovation Grant), Brevard Summer Music festival, the EAMA Institute in Paris, and the Cortona Sessions for New Music.
Recently, Benjamin was the recipient of a 2025 BMI Composer Award for his piece Unfurling Dances for the Grossman Ensemble. In addition, his piece was selected as part of an inaugural partnership with the American Composers Orchestra to be performed in a 2026 ACO EarShot Reading.
Passionate about bringing new works to life, Benjamin has also served as the assistant conductor for Oberlin Opera Theater’s productions of Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up and Rachel Peters’ Wild Beast of the Bungalow, with libretti by Royce Vavrek. Most recently, Benjamin returned to Oberlin and Opera Columbus as principal conductor for the world premiere of Melissa Dunphy and Jacqueline Goldfinger’s opera Alice Tierney.
Benjamin is an active professional chorister, singing regularly with choirs like Stare at the Sun and Roots in the Sky.
Benjamin received a BM from Oberlin Conservatory in Composition with a minor in Vocal Performance. While attending, he was the recipient of the 2022 Walter E. Aschaffenburg prize in Composition. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Chicago, where he studies with Augusta Read Thomas.
