Joel Martinson

Joel Martinson has been commissioned by a wide array of churches, musical organizations and individual performers across the United States over the past two decades, including those in major metropolitan areas -- Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, St. Louis, San Antonio and Washington, DC -- as well as by numerous institutions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he makes his home. His compositions have received awards from both The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and the Southwest Liturgical Conference and have been featured at conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and The Hymn Society. Martinson’s works have been performed throughout the U.S. and Great Britain, as well as on the European continent, Scandinavia, South Africa, and South Korea. His compositions have been recorded by professional choral organizations, and by a host of notable university choirs and wind ensembles, community and church choirs, acclaimed organ recitalists, and other performers. They have been heard nationally on both American Public Media’s Pipedreams and National Public Radio’s Performance Today.

Martinson is represented by Setting Nine of the liturgy in the newly released hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- Evangelical Lutheran Worship -- as well as compositions in With One Voice and Wonder, Love, and Praise, the official hymnal supplements of the ELCA and The Episcopal Church. He has been commissioned to compose liturgical music for both the Renewing Worship and Enriching our Music series of the fore-mentioned church bodies. Nearly 100 of his works are published by Oxford University Press, Selah Publishing, Paraclete Press and a number of other respected US music houses.

A product of two generations of clergy-musician families, Mr. Martinson was born in Minneapolis in 1960 and raised in Oregon. He has worked as a musician in Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Reformed Jewish houses of worship since his teens. Martinson holds the position of Director of Music Ministries and Organist at The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Dallas, Texas, where he coordinates the vibrant musical life of the parish, including choral and instrumental ensembles for all ages, a music series, and an exciting new organ project by the firm of Richards, Fowkes & Co. Previously, he served in a similar capacity at Saint Rita Catholic Community in Dallas for 16 years, where he created a large, diverse, and nationally-recognized music and arts program. 

An accomplished organist and national competition winner, Martinson holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance with secondary area of composition from The University of North Texas, and is a frequent organ recitalist and presenter of hymn festivals. He has been Dean of the Dallas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, as well as Director of the Recital Series, served two terms on the National Committee for New Music Competitions and Commissions of the AGO, and currently is Performance Chair for the Region VII 2007 convention. He was awarded membership in both Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi, and was recently inducted into the Dallas Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota as a Distinguished Member and National Arts Associate.

More information about Martinson may be found on his website at www.joelmartinson.com