Martin studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Bachelor of Music – Honours) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Masters of Performance). In between these two courses he was based in London, where he furthered his studies with Kyle Horsch and John Harle. He was selected as a core member of the Australian National Academy from 1997-1999 during which time he studied with Dietmar Wiesner and Cathy Milliken of Ensemble Moderne on the interpretation of Stockhausen and Cage, and received a scholarship to observe Marie-Bay Bernadette’s saxophone class in Bordeaux. In 2001 he received a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to study improvisation in New York with Tim Berne, George Garzone and Michael Formanek.
Martin was a featured soloist on Tim Davies’ 2010 Grammy-nominated track ‘Counting to Infinity’. He has recorded albums with Song Fwaa (Ligeti’s Goat), The Reaston Kay Effect (The Reaston Kay Effect), The Fantastic Terrific Munkle (Cahoots, Music to Dance To), Continuum Sax (Continuum, Icon), Jeff Usher’s Jazz Unit (From Leaps to Bounds), and Sousaphonics (Sousaphonics).
Martin has appeared with classical, jazz, cabaret and pop artists Manhattan Transfer, George Benson, Shirley Bassey, James Morrison, Kenny Rogers, Tim Minchin, Meow Meow, Ben Folds, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Six Pack Symphony (Combining Topology, Clocked Out Duo, Wood, Brodsky Quartet, Continuum Sax, David Chesworth Ensemble), Terra Australis, Seymour Ensemble and Australia Ensemble.
Martin currently lectures in saxophone at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. His compositions are sought by saxophonists internationally and are published by Reed Music.