Stephanie Martin

Canadian composer and conductor Stephanie Martin is associate professor of music at York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design; director of Schola Magdalena (a women’s ensemble singing chant and medieval polyphony), former artistic director of Pax Christi Chorale; and past director of music at the historic church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Toronto.

Martin’s love of pairing words and music is expressed in cantatas (The Sun, the Wind, and the Man with the Cloak, 2019; Babel: a choral symphony, 2016; Winter Nights, 2010) opera (Llandovery Castle, 2018) sacred choral music (Requiem for all souls, 2017) and many motets, anthems, and secular choral pieces.

Her compositions here at Renforth include A Place Where I Am Home, written in collaboration with a group of women residents of the Toronto YWCA; an anthology for small choirs; When You Are Old, for men’s voices; and a setting of a text by Lord Byron.

Martin is commissioned widely, from Canadian and international groups, including Ex Cathedra, UK; Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria B.C.; Winnipeg Organ Festival; Saskatoon Chamber Choir; Halifax Camerata; Albuquerque Cathedral; Antwerp’s Voce’s capituli; St. John Cantius, Chicago; and MacMillan Singers, University of Toronto. Martin’s string quartet From a distant island received its third performance by Skyros String Quartet in June 2014.

As artistic director of Pax Christi Chorale from 1996-2016, Martin conducted many memorable oratorios, and commissioned several new Canadian compositions. Performance highlights include Elgar’s The Kingdom, Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles, and The Music Makers; Britten’s Saint Nicolas; Bach’s Saint John Passion, Mass in B Minor, Christmas Oratorio; and the North American premiere of C.H.H. Parry’s JUDITH at Koerner Hall. A unique performance of Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ incorporated dancers from the York University Dance Ensemble.

Producing in the booth, or performing for the mics, Stephanie has recorded with many ensembles on the Naxos, Marquis and Dorian labels, as well as several self-produced recordings on her ‘SJM’ label. In 15 years of activity with Arbor Oak Trio, she performed hundreds of chamber music concerts and several fully staged dramatic works, including Arne’s rarely heard Love in a Village, Locke’s Cupid and Death and Gay’s Beggar’s Opera.

Martin holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier University, and is an Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. At York University she has been acknowledged as a ‘research leader’, and is Graduate Programme Director for music, teaching composition, harpsichord and organ, and historical ensembles.

Visit www.stephaniemartinmusic.com for Stephanie's full catalogue of published works.