Benjamin Martin (he/they) (b.1998) is a composer, singer, and musical collaborator based in Chicago, IL. Benjamin takes great joy in writing bespoke works which serve to illuminate and amplify the unique gifts of a wide array of individual artists. While interested in all manner of expressive media, their love of the human voice, the written word, and musical storytelling is often at the center of their 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. Their 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 their piece Unfurling Dances for the Grossman Ensemble. In addition, their 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 currently a conductor and co-director of the University of Chicago New Music Ensemble.

Benjamin received a BM from Oberlin Conservatory in Composition with a minor in Vocal Performance. While attending, they were the recipient of the 2022 Walter E. Aschaffenburg prize in Composition. They are currently pursuing their PhD at the University of Chicago, where they study with Augusta Read Thomas.