John Martin is one of Australia’s most diverse, sensitive, award-winning      pianists. From his early days in Mudgee, John has been playing professionally for twenty five years; from recitals, ensembles, classical concerts through to jazz, popular music & cabaret. John’s warm, vibrant personality & eclectic performance skills are legendary; comfortably embracing live radio broadcasts, John has become a regularly featured artist on Classic FM’s Breakfast, Drive & Thursday Live programs.

An intricate part of John’s professional career has also seen him accompanying & mentoring literally hundreds of graduating vocalists, wind, brass & string instrumentalists through their public examination recitals & assessments. As the recipient of two prestigious, overseas study grants awarded by The Music Board of Australia & Australia’s Opera Foundation, John studied & worked in London under the tutelage of two world-renowned pianists: Clifford Benson & Paul Hamburger, strengthening his accompanist skills with both vocal & instrumental ensembles. It was during his 7 year residency at The Waldorf Hotel in Central London, John was acclaimed “as one of England’s greatest cocktail pianists.”

By the age of 6, John was playing complex piano compositions by ear & at 15,  won an encouragement award for performing a Chopin Impromptu & The Prelude in C# Minor by Rachmaninov, on national television’s New Faces.

John later attained diplomas from Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music and Associate Music Australia, returning more recently to his alma mater as the performance lecturer in the Ensemble Studies Unit.

John Martin has also received extensive ABC Radio airplay with the CDs entitled The Music of Ann Carr-Boyd, a classical composer of international renown, produced by Robert Allworth, and Moonbeams Kiss the Sea with cellist Susan Blake, featuring music by Australian composers.  His CDs Ancient Rivers, a collection of Australian piano music, and Simply Cor Anglais with virtuoso Cor Anglais player Rachel Tolmie, are available from Wirripang Publications.  John adores playing ragtime & lives with his partner & piano in Sydney.