Samuel Martin

Education

Master of Music, Collaborative Piano, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Bachelor of Music, Piano Performance, Ithaca College

Samuel Martin is a dynamic pianist in demand as a partner for recital, chamber, choral, orchestral, opera, and musical theater performances. His stylistic versatility has resulted in concert appearances both nationally and internationally, most recently in Germany, México, and throughout the United States.

Hailed as “Cincinnati’s champion for art song,” (Movers & Makers) Martin is the Founding Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Song Initiative (CSI), an award-winning nonprofit concert series dedicated to the promotion and innovation of song. Through the mission of CSI, he creates new ways for contemporary artists and audiences to interact, facilitating accessible, inclusive, and innovative spaces for classical music to flourish. CSI’s 2025-2026 tenth anniversary season saw the launch of a groundbreaking partnership with Cincinnati Public Radio, with CSI’s Mainstage concerts broadcast on 90.9 WGUC while simultaneously hosting a live studio audience.

Together with mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis, Martin’s debut album on the BCM&D Records label, Before She Became Fire, shines a spotlight on never-before-recorded song cycles by composers Judith Cloud, Melissa Dunphy, and Lori Laitman. Late 2026 sees the release of the duo’s second album, Inheritance, featuring songs by Juliana Hall, Lori Laitman, Evan Mack, Matthew Recio, David Sisco, Jason Weisinger, and Eric Whitacre.

Martin serves as Director of Vocal Studies at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he teaches specialized performance seminars, song literature courses, and coaches privately. Additionally, he serves as Administrative Director of the Richard P. Garmany Concert Series at Hartt, recognized as one of Connecticut’s premier live music attractions.

A native of New York, Martin holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music and Ithaca College. His training was enhanced as a Fellow of the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, a program devoted to the intense study and performance of contemporary American art song, led by luminaries Stephanie Blythe and the late Alan Louis Smith. He is a frequent guest artist, teacher, and speaker at institutions of higher education, recently including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Chapman University, and Ithaca College, among others.