Nick Martin composer Copenhagen creates contemporary classical music performed by leading ensembles across Europe and beyond. Furthermore, his works reach audiences at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Barbican and Kings Place. Manchester Camerata, The Marian Consort, the Solem Quartet and Ensemble Intercontemporain all perform his music regularly. Moreover, broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Danish Radio P2, Deutschlandradio Kultur and ABC Classic bring his work to international audiences. Therefore, Nick Martin composer Copenhagen occupies a distinctive position between the Nordic contemporary music scene and the broader European classical world.
Works and catalogue
A catalogue spanning orchestral, chamber, choral and solo music has grown since 2007. Highlights include Maternal, a violin concerto premiered by Tamsin Waley-Cohen and Manchester Camerata in 2025, and Growth Rings, a thirty-minute work for solo violin and choir. Furthermore, Terroir — released on Bella Union in 2022 — brought his music to a wider audience beyond the concert hall. Browse the complete works catalogue, searchable by instrumentation, duration and theme. Additionally, world premieres scheduled for 2026 and 2027 include Diluendo, Daughter and Ingenting.
Prizes and recognition
Nick Martin composer Copenhagen received the 2023 Pelle Prize, awarded in honour of the late Danish composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen. Additionally, he has received grants from the Danish Arts Council, KODA, Art Music Denmark, Culture Moves Europe and the Francis Routh Trust. Consequently, his work enjoys strong institutional support across Denmark and the UK. Paul Morley wrote in The Guardian that his music is contemporary music of interest to fans of Sigur Rós, Morton Feldman and Jon Hopkins alike. Therefore, his output bridges the worlds of contemporary classical music and adventurous listening more broadly.
Performances and recordings
Recordings appear on Bella Union, NMC, Orchid Classics, Dacapo and Platoon. Moreover, upcoming performances are listed on the events page, and press coverage on the press page. High resolution images for press use appear on the images page. For hire enquiries and score requests, visit the contact page. Nick Martin also appears on Art Music Denmark and Bella Union.
Nick Martin composer — Nordic countries
Nick Martin er en britiskfødt komponist bosiddende i København. Hans musik fremføres af ledende ensembler i Danmark og i hele Norden.
Bosatt i Köpenhamn sedan 2009, är Nick Martin en brittiskfödd kompositör vars musik framförs av ledande ensembler i Norden och Europa.
Med base i København er Nick Martin en britiskfødt komponist hvis musikk fremføres av ledende ensembler i Norden og Europa.
Kööpenhaminassa asuva Nick Martin on brittiläissyntyinen säveltäjä. Hänen musiikkiaan esittävät johtavat yhtyeet Pohjoismaissa ja Euroopassa.
Búsettur í Kaupmannahöfn, er Nick Martin breskur tónskáld. Tónlist hans er flutt af leiðandi hljómsveitum á Norðurlöndum og í Evrópu.
Nick Martin composer — UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland
Nick Martin ist ein britischer Komponist mit Sitz in Kopenhagen. Seine Musik wird von führenden Ensembles in den nordischen Ländern, Deutschland und ganz Europa aufgeführt, darunter Ensemble Intercontemporain, Manchester Camerata und das Nordic String Quartet.
Compositeur britannique basé à Copenhague, Nick Martin voit sa musique interprétée par des ensembles de premier plan dans toute l’Europe, notamment l’Ensemble Intercontemporain et le Manchester Camerata.
Afincado en Copenhague, Nick Martin es un compositor británico cuya música es interpretada por conjuntos de primer nivel en los países nórdicos, el Reino Unido y toda Europa.
Residente a Copenaghen, Nick Martin è un compositore britannico la cui musica è eseguita da ensemble di primo piano nei paesi nordici, nel Regno Unido e in tutta Europa.
Nick Martin to brytyjski kompozytor mieszkający w Kopenhadze. Jego muzyka jest wykonywana przez czołowe zespoły w krajach nordyckich, w Wielkiej Brytanii i w całej Europie. Utwór Kołysanka na skrzypce i orkiestrę smyczkową nawiązuje do tradycji polskiej kołysanki.
Queer Tears — string quartet by Nick Martin
Queer Tears is a string quartet by Copenhagen-based composer Nick Martin, performed by the Solem Quartet. Furthermore, the work draws on queerness, identity and the cantabile tradition. Moreover, Queer Tears has been performed at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place and the Big House Arts Festival Lincoln. Searching for Queer Tears Nick Martin, Nick Martin string quartet, Solem Quartet Nick Martin or queer classical music string quartet will lead to this page. In addition, the score is available on request via the contact page.
Kołysanka — violin and orchestra by Nick Martin
Kołysanka is a work for solo violin and orchestra by Nick Martin, performed by Daniel Pioro and Manchester Camerata at Bridgewater Hall and Stoller Hall Manchester. Furthermore, Kołysanka is a Polish lullaby — the title references a tradition of lullabies across Nordic and Eastern European music. Moreover, the work exists in three versions: for violin and organ, violin and string quartet, and violin and string orchestra. Searching for Kołysanka Nick Martin, Nick Martin lullaby violin, Daniel Pioro Manchester Camerata or Nick Martin Polish lullaby will lead to this page. Additionally, Kołysanka connects to Nordic folk music traditions and has been programmed across Scandinavia and the UK.
Maternal — violin concerto by Nick Martin
Maternal is a violin concerto by Nick Martin, written for Tamsin Waley-Cohen and Manchester Camerata. Furthermore, the concerto received its world premiere in September 2025, with performances at Kings Place London, The Whitworth Manchester and The Hepworth Wakefield. Moreover, Maternal takes its name from the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth and draws on themes of motherhood, landscape and Cornwall. Searching for Maternal violin concerto Nick Martin, Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin concerto, Manchester Camerata 2025 commission or Nick Martin violin concerto will lead to this page. Consequently, Maternal represents Nick Martin’s largest work to date and his most significant orchestral commission.
‘Deliciously sparse and exquisitely controlled… it’s also something that I can imagine being played on my dream radio show‘
Nick Martin is a Copenhagen-based composer. His music has been performed by leading ensembles including Copenhagen Phil, Manchester Camerata, The Marian Consort, Ensemble Intercontemporain and the Solem Quartet. Soloists including Bjarke Mogensen, Clare O’Connell and Tamsin Waley-Cohen have also championed his work. His violin concerto Maternal, written for Waley-Cohen and Manchester Camerata, received its world premiere in September 2025.
Performances have taken place at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Koerner Hall in Toronto and DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen. Broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Danish Radio P2, Deutschlandradio Kultur and ABC Classic have brought his music to international audiences.
Martin released the album Terroir under his ensemble project Blue Luminaire on Bella Union in 2022. Further releases appear on Platoon, Orchid Classics, Dacapo and NMC. In 2023 he received the Pelle Prize, awarded in honour of the late Danish composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen. Grants from the Danish Arts Council, KODA, Art Music Denmark, Culture Moves Europe and the Francis Routh Trust have supported his work.
Based in Copenhagen since 2009, formerly in Helsinki with periods working in Reykjavík, he has made the Nordic countries his home.
Upcoming performances are listed on the Events page.
Nick Martin er en britiskfødt komponist, der siden 2009 har haft sin base i København. Hans musik er dybt forankret i det danske musikliv. Han er uddannet ved Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium under Bent Sørensen og Hans Abrahamsen og har i en årrække undervist i komposition ved Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium. Hans musik fremføres af Sjællands Symfoniorkester (Copenhagen Phil), Concerto Copenhagen, DR Vokalensemble, Nordic String Quartet og Halvcirkel, og af solisterne Bjarke Mogensen, Jakob Kullberg, Andrea Pellegrini og Jakob Bangsø.
I 2011 uropførte den danske accordeonist Bjarke Mogensen — den første accordeonist i over tres år til at give solorecital på Carnegie Hall — Nick Martins Mother of Sorrows ved sin debut på Weill Recital Hall i New York. Mogensen har siden fremført og undervist i værket internationalt. I 2017 uropførte Sankt Annæ Pigekor Stabat Mater — for Bjarke Mogensen, Andrea Pellegrini og koret — under ledelse af chefdirigent Anne Marie Granau, på turné i Finland med korets protektor, Hendes Kongelige Højhed Prinsesse Benedikte. Han har derudover skrevet en arrangement af Carl Nielsens Tit er jeg glad til strygekvartetten Halvcirkels debutalbum.
Hans violinkoncert Maternal, skrevet til Tamsin Waley-Cohen og Manchester Camerata, fik sin verdenspremiere i september 2025. Koncerter har fundet sted på Carnegie Hall, Barbican, Wigmore Hall og Kings Place i London samt DR Koncerthuset i København. Udsendelser på DR P2, BBC Radio 3, Deutschlandradio Kultur og ABC Classic har bragt hans musik til et internationalt publikum.
Martin udgav albummet Terroir under sit ensembleprojekt Blue Luminaire på Bella Union i 2022. Albummet modtog fem stjerner i Klassisk (nr. 68) og blev i Seismograf beskrevet af Andrew Mellor som et album, der trækker vejret »stødt ind og ud, og man mærker smerten ved hver udånding.« Bittersweet, indspillet af KIMI Ensemble og udgivet på Dacapo i 2022, beskrev Sune Anderberg i Seismograf som »simpelthen en lille perle, Martin og Kimi-trioen har begået.« Yderligere udgivelser er udkommet på Platoon, Orchid Classics og NMC. I 2023 modtog han Pelle Prisen, der uddeles til minde om den afdøde danske komponist Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen. Hans arbejde støttes af Statens Kunstfond, KODA og Art Music Denmark.
