Laurie
San Martin

Composer, Clarinetist, Educator

Laurie San Martin writes music that creates a compelling narrative by exploring the intersection between texture and line.

Critics have described her music as exuberant, colorful, forthright, high-octane, tumultuous, intricate, intense, and rumbly.

Her music has been performed in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Awards

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

News

"Night Owls"

Ensemble ARI with gayageum soloist Hwayoung Shon will perform Laurie's new work "Night Owls" commissioned by the Barlow Endowment will have three performances:

1) Oct 27@ 3PM at St. Mary's College

2) Nov 4@ 1PM at SF State University

3) Nov 6 @12noon at Santa Clara University

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New Works

In the summer of 2024, Laurie will present two new works at the Composers Conference 80th Anniversary

World Premiere

On Feb 6, 2025 at Pitzer Recital Hall, the Empyrean Ensemble will give the world premiere of Laurie's new chamber work

Guest composer

Laurie participated as a Guest Composer at the Brasilia Orchestral Summit from July 27 to August 3, 2024

Mentor for Emerging Composers

In the fall of 2023, Laurie served as a mentor with the Pacific Chamber Orchestra's Dream American, a reading and performance workshop for emerging composers, conducted by Lawrence Kohl

Performance of "Witches"

‍Volti Chamber Choir and Left Coast Chamber Ensemble will perform “Witches” by Laurie San Martin

Jan 25, 2025 @7:30PM at First Church of Christ Scientist, Berkeley and February 1, 2025 @7:30PM at Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco

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Guest Composer

Laurie will be a Guest Composer with the Sao Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival from August 8-17, 2025.

About

Recent Accolades

Barlow Commission in 2023
Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2018
2016 Guggenheim Fellowship

Past recognition

Fellowship from the Fromm Foundation
League of Composers-ISCM
International Alliance for Women in Music
ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Awards

Downloadables

biography + headshot

Collaborations

Laurie has written for numerous ensembles including the Daedalus String Quartet, Berlin PianoPercussion, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Radius Ensemble, eighth blackbird, Earplay, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, SF Chamber Orchestra, the Lydian Quartet, Magnetic South Ensemble, Washington Square Contemporary Chamber Players, and others.

Recordings

Her music can be found on the New Focus Recordings Label of Music from the Association for the Promotion of New Music (APNM), Left Coast Chamber Ensemble’s “San Francisco Premieres” CD, released in 2005 and a recent Ravello CD “Tangos for Piano” performed by Amy Briggs.

Fellowships & Residencies

As a composition fellow, she has attended the MacDowell Colony, the Montalvo Artist Residency, Yaddo, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Norfolk Contemporary Chamber Music Festival and the Composers Conference at Wellesley College. In summer, 2023, Laurie participated as a faculty mentor with the Cortona Sessions for New Music.

Academic Background

Laurie holds a PhD from Brandeis University in Theory and Composition. She has taught at Clark University and is currently Professor of Music at the University of California, Davis.