• Cetacean Echoes - Tuba Quartet, Piano and Percussion

Premiered 21st August 2026 at Korksirken, Bergen, Norway

A cetacean is a marine mammal, and this piece aims to give you an insight into the communication systems of whales. The sounds and vocalisations that this piece focuses on include echolocation clicks and whale song. Human noise pollution in the ocean is a real threat to whales and these systems, and through sounds, this piece explores a world where human noise (represented by ‘musical’ sounds) and marine environmental sounds can co-exist.

Read more about the premiere here.

• Where the Willow Breathes - Soprano Saxophone and Harp

Premiered 5th June 2026 at the Dora Stoutzker Hall as part of the RWCMD World Environment Series 2026 (founded by Nina Martin). Performed by Nina Martin (soprano sax) and Yasmin Richards (harp).

Willow trees are a common sight in the UK, they are often admired for their graceful forms, with slender, elongated leaves and drooping branches. The sweeping leaves hang down from the crown of the tree, and in a light breeze, it can appear as if the tree is breathing. A willow tree is also playful, with twisting and cascading leaves reminiscent of flowing water. This piece aims to capture the essence of a willow tree, and to bring a piece of nature into the concert hall.

• Blackbird Part 1 and Part 2

Released in May 2026. For best experience, please listen with headphones as this piece has been mixed binaurally.

Part 1 - This current day. The sun rises, an array of shimmering, morphing colours. The scene pans down to the forest below, where a blackbird sits perched by the river. The blackbird takes off and flies along the river, until settling in an opening where a woman sits humming, finding solace in the beauty of nature. Part 2 - We remain in the same location, but 300 years have passed. It is the same scene; something doesn’t look quite right. As we peer closer, we see that what we thought were birds are actually mechanical robots, and that they are beginning to malfunction. We watch as the landscape glitches and disintegrates, and the sixth mass extinction unfolds.

• Butterfly - Clarinet (Eb, Bb and Bass) and Soundscape / Soprano Saxophone and Soundscape

Premiered on the 8th March 2026 for International Women’s Day by Molly Bradley in the Anthony Hopkins Centre’s Weston Gallery on Clarinet. Performed again on the 26th March 2026 at RWCMD’s Sound Bar. Performed for the third time on the 5th June 2026 at the Dora Stoutzker Hall by Nina Martin on Soprano Saxophone.

This piece tells the story of environmental heroine, Julia Butterfly Hill. In 1997, when Julia was only 23 years old, she lived 180 feet high in the canopy of an 1,000-year-old California Redwood tree named Luna for 738 days, in a tree-sit to protect the tree from being cut down by loggers from the Pacific Lumbar Company. She used solar-powered phones for radio interviews, and cooked her food on a small portable stove. Throughout the ordeal, she weathered freezing rain, storms, intimidation and abuse from angry loggers, but still, she refused to return to the ground until 1999, when the Pacific Lumbar Company agreed to preserve all trees within a 200-foot buffer zone. Julia went on to become a strong activist and public speaker. The Soundscape includes recordings internal sounds of trees, birds, and news/interview clips of Julia Butterfly Hill.

• Mancunity: Andy Scott arr. Nina Martin - Sinfonietta

Workshopped and recorded by RWCMD musicians, conducted by Nina Martin, February 2026.

Mancunity by Andy Scott was commissioned by Manchester Jazz Festival, UK (2019). It is dedicated to the spirit of the people of Manchester and their ability to rally together when facing adversity. It is originally a 60 minute piece of music in multiple sections written for 12 instruments. Nina Martin has arranged two sections into a 7 minute work for Sinfonietta, to honour Andy Scott's influence on her musical career as a mentor. The two sections arranged are titled 'From this Earth', and 'Never a Kinder Soul.

• Lavradeiro - Morin Khuur Quartet

Premiered 16th December 2025 at the Mongolian State Conservatory, Mongolia, as part of the ‘cultural collaboration across the world: RWCMD and the Morin Khuur composition project.’ The Head of the Morin Khuur Department of the Mongolian State Conservatory stated this in a following letter - “It is worth mentioning that Nina Martin’s “Lavradeiro” was particularly interesting from my personal perspective. Her performance note of the work was very energetic, and she skillfully used glissandos in the introduction part of the piece to create the Mongolian long-song melody feeling. The intervals in the “A” section of the piece were reminiscent ofthe traditional stringed melody (Tatlaga – Татлага) of the morin khuur. Overall, the long-song melody and the stringed melody were suited wonderfully in the morin khuur quartet.”

This piece was written as part of a project led by Itgeltugs Ganzorig, and was one of the first of it’s kind, pairing composers from the UK with musicians of the traditional Mongolian instruments Morin Khuur and Ikh Khuur. The piece is about the last wild horses in Brazil, called Lavradeiro. The subject honours the close connection of horses to the Morin Khuur instrument, whilst bringing Nina’s own heritage and reflections on the decline of wild horses, using Brazilian Samba rhythms to evoke this.

• 12 Jazz Cubes - Piano Study

This short piano study was written based on 12 tone rows in a cubist, contemporary, jazz infused style - thus the name ‘12 Jazz Cubes’.

• November: Iiro Rantala arr. Nina Martin - Soprano Saxophone and Sinfonietta

Workshopped and recorded by RWCMD musicians, conducted and recorded by Nina Martin in March 2025.

This piece is dedicated to Nina’s Dad, who introduced her to a wide range of music growing up, including that of Iiro Rantala. The piece November, from the album ‘My Finnish Calendar’ was arranged for solo soprano saxophone and sinfonietta, and during the workshop and recording Nina played the soprano saxophone and conducted the ensemble simultaneously.

• Through the Maze - Acousmatic

Released July 2025.

Through the Maze is an acousmatic work that uses saxophone multiphonics and singing bowl recordings and creative music technology techniques.

• Aurora - 8 Voices

Premiered by Bute Voices for International Women’s Day 8th March 2025 at the Dora Stoutzker Hall. Performed by Bute Voices at the Brecon Cathedral, 27th June 2026. Performed at the Dora Stoutzker Hall 5th June 2026 as part of the RWCMD World Environment Series, and more.

Aurora is written for a vocal octet, originally commissioned by Bute Voices, Welsh vocal ensemble. The title ‘Aurora’ has a double meaning, as both a homage to the Norwegian singer-songwriter and activist Aurora, and to evoke the beauty of the Aurora Borealis. The two-note motif that begins the piece is drawn from Aurora’s song ‘Runaway’.

• Lung Capacity - Solo Flute

Premiered and recorded by Anya Cookson in the Anthony Hopkins Centre Weston Gallery for International Women’s Day 8th March 2025.

Lung Capacity was written alongside flautist Anya Cookson, inspired by the relationship between a musician’s lungs and their instrument. The first hald of the piece plays with circular breathing, and the later rhythmic passages use a variety of extended techniques. This piece uses all 12 notes of the traditional scale and is based on triadic shapes.

• Okay Then - Saxophone Orchestra

Premiered by the RWCMD Saxophone Choir 2025. Read the concert review here.

Originally written for 10 wind instruments, then arranged for saxophone choir, this characteristic and cheeky piece uses cubist techniques to invite the unexpected.

• Winter Foragers

Performed November - December 2024 as part of the Bute Park Christmas Light Show ‘Mycelium Network’ installation, and again November - December 2025 in Bristol.

This piece was commissioned by In The Fields for the Bute Park Christmas Light Show, for the installation ‘Mycelium Network’ bringing together the soundscape of a wintery wood teeming with life through mycelium and mushrooms.

• Labyrinth - Alto Saxophone and Live Electronics (and dance)

Premiered by Nina Martin in collaboration with the Royal Northern Ballet School 2024. Performed at RWCMD’s Soundbar by Nina Martin, September 2025.

Written for live looping and electronics alongside saxophone and dance (optional), for Nina herself to perform.

• Betws-y-Coed - Brass Band

Premiered by the NYBBGB and conduced by Martyn Brabbins in London’s Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, 9th August 2025.

Read the Winner Announcement here and here.

Read the 4barsrest article feature here.

Read the 4.5 star concert review here.

Betws-y-Coed is Nina’s first piece for brass band and was inspired by her first solo backpacking trip to Betws-y-Coed in Wales. Whilst exploring, she wrote musical ideas based on the bubbling of the river, the contour of the surrounding hills and the feeling of joy when immersed in the natural habitat. However, in her piece this joy is tinged with tension and nostalgia, representing doubts whether this beautiful place will be around in years to come as we battle the climate crisis. The romantic theme of the work can be considered to represent both a tragic romance and a battle between the human race and the natural world.

• Animal - Saxophone Orchestra

Premiered by the RNCM Saxophone Choir in 2024 conducted by Rob Buckland, and performed by the RWCMD Saxophone Orchestra in 2025 conducted by Gerard McChrystal.

Animal is inspired by this Kalandra lyric - "from fields of green grew towers made of stone, watching my surroundings being ravaged by their greed, replaced by someone's vision to create the concrete dream”. The piece captures playfulness to remember that we are all animals but the human race seems to have forgotten this.

• I can feel you in the Sunrise - Saxophone Quartet

Premiered by the Nova Quartet at the Anthony Burgess Centre, Manchester 2023.

Dedicated to Nina Martin’s grandma Shirley Martin, this piece was written after she passed, and reflects on the sentiment of feeling her presence and memories reflected in the sunrise. In the premiere, Martin performed on Tenor Saxophone.

• Dark Orange - Alto Saxophone and Session Orchestra

Premiered by Nina Martin and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Session Band at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Orchestra 2023, conducted by Andy Stott.

Dark Orange was written for Nina herself to play alongside the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Session Band during her time in the ensemble, it’s title was given by one of the performers with synethsesia who, when listening to the piece, said to Nina that is sounded like a dark orange colour.

• Approaching Wild - Soprano Voice, Flute, Horn in F, Violin, Viola and Piano

Performed and recorded by the Junior Royal Northern College of Music ‘New Music Ensemble’ 2023.

This piece follows the story of a young woman who stumbles upon a wild horse on an open plain, and rides it to freedom, escaping a world of expectation. It is a piece about remembering our roots in the natural world in order to break out of an output oriented society in search of true freedom.

• Letting Go - Cello, Double Bass, Piano

Premiered in 2023, and recorded at Spirit Studios.

This piece is inspired by the following quote - “minimalism is about letting go in order to make room for what really matters” - The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus.

• Lua - Solo Piano

Premiered by Nina Martin at the Royal Northern College of Music 2023.

Lua is Portuguese for Moon, and was written during Nina Martins time attending the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, as a short piece for Karen Humphreys MBE as part of a concert honouring Karen’s impact on youth music in Manchester.

• Bound to Odyssey Trio - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone and Piano

Premiered by Nina Martin and Rachael Green 2023.

• Beau - Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Cello

Premiered at the Sound and Music Summer School 2022.

Beau is french for beautiful, and this piece explores themes of inner beauty and confidence, through this set ensemble. Beau was written in one week, during an intensive programme at the Sound and Music Composition Summer School.

• Where has the lighthouse gone? - Saxophone Quartet

Premiered at the Harrogate Saxophone Summer School 2022.

This piece is built on the class nursery rhyme tune ‘row row row your boat’, but in this version, the boat lost at sea, searching for a lighthouse to help guide it to shore. The textures and melodies capture an oceanic landscape, including both stormy and still seas. Nina herself was in the quartet that premiered this work, and they workshopped and premiered the piece during the Saxophone Summer School in Harrogate.

• Up and Away - String Quartet

Premiered by musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Music Room, and recorded in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, May 2021. Performed 12th March, 2025 at The Tung Auditorium in partnership with the Liverpool Philharmonic.

Up and Away’ is Nina Martin’s earliest performed work, written aged 16. This piece was written dedicated to Nina’s cousin Alexia, who was victim to suicide that same year. The piece cycles through reflections on grief and time, whilst also celebrating life and memory. This piece was a catalyst for Martin’s composition career, being the first piece that was performed and leading to a further apetite for composition.