Marya Martin is a New Zealand born American flautist, soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician.
Born Mary Martin in New Zealand, Martin studied at the
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...
, where she had lessons with
Richard Giese
Richard William Giese (30 April 1924 – 23 February 2010) was a New Zealand flautist and principal flautist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from 1962 to 1986.
Giese's ancestors originated from Thuringia, Germany. His parents were Carl A ...
, then principal flute in the
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony ...
. After graduating in 1976, Martin was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council grant to study at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. In 1979, Martin graduated from Yale with a master's degree in flute performance. She shortly thereafter won the 1979
Young Concert Artists International Auditions
Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based artist management company dedicated to discovering and advancing the careers of talented young classical musicians from around the world. The organization, founded in 1961, invites artists to auditio ...
. She went on to win top prizes in the Naumburg Competition, the Munich International Competition, the Jean-Pierre Rampal International Competition, and the Concert Artists Guild—all within a two-year period. To date, Martin is the only flutist to take top prizes in all of these major competitions. In 1980, Martin made her New York concert debut. Following these successes, Martin moved to Paris to study with
Jean-Pierre Rampal
Jean-Pierre Louis Rampal (7 January 1922 – 20 May 2000) was a French flautist. Rampal popularised the flute in the post–World War II years, recovering flute compositions from the Baroque era, and spurring contemporary composers, ...
Sir James Galway
Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". After several years working as an orchestral musician, he established an international career as a solo flute pl ...
in Lucerne, Switzerland.
In 1984, she founded the
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival
The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival (BCMF) in Bridgehampton, New York, was founded in 1984 by New Zealand-born flutist Marya Martin and her husband, Manhattan businessman Kenneth Davidson. The festival presents 13 concerts of chamber music f ...
which, under her artistic direction, has done much to foster the development of chamber music presented in historically appropriate settings.
She has performed internationally with orchestras including the
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra also serves as the accompanying orchestra for the Seattle Opera.
History
Beginnings
The orchest ...
,
Saint Louis Symphony
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony or ...
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
, the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.
Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
and
Wigmore Hall
The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...
in London; the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
; Casals Hall in Tokyo; and other venues in Paris, New Zealand, and Australia. Martin has also toured with
James Galway
Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". After several years working as an orchestral musician, he established an international career as a solo flute pl ...
, playing duo concerts with him. As a chamber musician, Martin has appeared with the
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City and around the world. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber m ...
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival is a six-week-long summer Festival of chamber music held annually in July and August and located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was founded in 1972 and presented its first series of concerts in 1973. Well-known mu ...
Bravo! Colorado
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
*Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
* Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
. She has recorded for
Musical Heritage Society
Musical Heritage Society was an American mail-order record label founded in New York City in 1962 by Michael "Mischa" Naida (1900–1991), co-founder of Westminster Records, and T. C. Fry Jr. (1926–1996).
Background
After a small initial gro ...
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...
,
New World Records
New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.Well-Tempered Productions,
Albany Records
Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York.
In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...
, and Kiwi Pacific Records. Martin is on the board of Young Concert Artists and is a jurist in international music competitions. She is on the faculty of the
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...
, a position she has had since 1996.
In 2005 Martin received a University of Auckland Distinguished Alumni Award.
Martin is married to Manhattan businessman Ken Davidson.