Christopher Martin

Christopher Martin joined the New York Philharmonic as principal trumpet, Paula Levin Chair, in 2016, after serving as principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for 11 seasons. He has also served as principal trumpet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and associate principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra—a post he won at age 22.

Martin made his New York Philharmonic solo debut in October 2016, performing Ligeti’s The Mysteries of the Macabre, led by then music director Alan Gilbert. He has appeared as soloist multiple times with the Chicago Symphony and music director Riccardo Muti. He has had other solo engagements with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen Festival, Atlanta and Alabama Symphony Orchestras, and the National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) of Mexico.

Martin’s discography includes a solo trumpet performance in John Williams’s score to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012), the National Brass Ensemble’s Gabrieli album, and CSO Resound label recordings including the 2011 release of CSO Brass Live. He has served on the faculty of Northwestern University and coached the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and in 2016 he received the Edwin Franko Goldman Memorial Citation from the American Bandmasters Association for outstanding contributions to the wind band genre. Martin and his wife Margaret, an organist and pianist, enjoy performing together in recital.