We were lucky to catch up with Colin Martin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Colin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have worked on many incredible projects over the years. The two major recent projects that I’ve worked on are my ballet, “The Great Gatsby”, which premiered in April 2025 with the New Mexico Ballet Company and the New Mexico Philharmonic, and more recently my doctoral dissertation, which was a Cello Concerto composed for Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniță, who was a winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Prior to that, I’ve enjoyed many other meaningful collaborations with the New Mexico Philharmonic, and from musician friends from throughout the years that I’ve worked with in Albuquerque, Miami, and San Francisco.

Colin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a composer and pianist based in Miami, Florida, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. My music is neo-romantic, seeking to bring a fresh voice to new classical music that is original, yet still accessible to any audience. I write for all mediums, including orchestral music, ballet, chamber music, vocal music/opera, and solo compositions. I began my musical studies as a concert pianist before venturing into composition during my undergraduate years. I still sometimes perform my own compositions for piano, especially at the Southwest Piano Festival in Albuquerque, where I serve as Vice President. In addition to composing, performing, and helping to run the festival, I take great pride in my teaching and in supporting the musical growth of the younger generation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the best part of my job is easily the connection I make with others through my music or my teaching. While it’s incredibly gratifying to create art that indulges my own musical tastes, and to feel the accomplishment that comes with creating a new work, there is nothing quite like the moment of connection that music can create- when a performer becomes inspired by your work, when an audience member tells you how much your piece resonated with them, or when a student makes a connection and has that moment of growth that you can see in real-time. The relationships I have with my peers, my students, and audiences is what makes this profession so rewarding, despite its difficulties.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One of my primary goals is to create music that can bridge the gap between audiences and contemporary music. After the last century, there is still a stigma that audiences (and performers, for that matter) tend to have around new music, through no fault of their own- exclusionary, ivory tower ideologies from the new music establishment helped to drive them away. I believe that is slowly changing, and I hope to be a driving force behind that, and to bring back excitement around new music concerts, making them as much (or more) of a desirable event as any performance of Beethoven, Brahms or Mozart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.colinmartinmusic.com
• Instagram: @colinmartinmusic
• Facebook: Colin Martin, Composer
• Youtube: @cmartinmusic23

Image Credits

Gonzalo Mejia, Colin Martin