Martín Letelier (*1987) is a Chilean composer based in Cologne, Germany.

Particularly outstanding in vocal writing, Letelier was recently awarded in the Nocturne Composition Competition 2024, organized by the German Association of Choirs  (Deutscher Chorverband), the Carus-Verlag and the ensemble Voktett Hannover. On this occasion, he received the second prize of the jury, the audience award, and the Carus-Verlag award for his composition “Soliloquy” for narrator and vocal ensemble. 

His works have also received other numerous recognitions, such as the first prize and the audience award at the Composition Competition of Regensburg 2022 for his composition “Gedicht”, for soprano and string orchestra. In 2020, he was nominated for a Pulsar Award in the category “Best Classical Artist” for the work “Ya no van a haber robots”, premiered by Ensemble Musikfabrik. He is also winner of the Concurso de Composición Luis Advis, Chile’s most prestigious composition award, for his orchestral piece “El Laberinto del Minotauro”.

At the moment, he is working on an opera commissioned by the Chilean opera company Lírica Disidente, and is a finalist in the composition competition of the International Biennial of Contemporary Vocal Music FestyVocal in Firminy (France), where he will premiere in 2025 a new work for choir at the Le Corbusier Church.

Besides his work as a composer, Martín teaches theory, piano and composition in the cities of Cologne and Hennef, and has been invited to give lectures in institutions such as the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe or the Universidad Austral de Chile. As an arranger, he has worked among others with the latin band El Chibano, who received a Pulsar Award 2022 on their debut album “Salsa Consciente” including four of his arrangements.

Martín holds a Master in Composition from the University of Music and Dance of Cologne (HfMT Köln) where he studied with Markus Hechtle. Prior to this, he studied composition at the Universidad de Chile, where he graduated with highest distinction. He has attended masterclasses of musicians such as Carola Bauckholt, Alexander Schubert, Iris ter Schiphorst, Marko Nikodijevic and Sarah Maria Sun. 

Being an enthusiastic lover of vocal music, he actively participates as a baritone of LeChör.