Composer Bio

Composer Kipyn Martin comes from the Shenandoah Valley—well-known for Appalachian folk music, which proves evident in Martin’s lyricism. With Martin’s gift for melody and vocal writing, it is no surprise that the many commissions she has earned in the past six years have been primarily from choirs and singers in the Shenandoah Valley. She received her first commission in 2005 while still an undergraduate at Shepherd University from the Antietam Women’s Ensemble in Sharpsburg, MD. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music, summa cum laude, from Shepherd University in 2008, and is currently pursuing the Master of Music Degree in Composition at Shenandoah Conservatory. Notably, Martin received the Composer of the Year award and commission from the West Virginia Music Teachers National Association in 2010. She has studied composition with Wayne Wold, Mark A. Cook, Erik Reid Jones, and William Averitt. She looks forward to the pursuit of a PhD, and to guiding composition students down the path to finding their voices.

Songwriter Bio

Soulful: this is most often how a listener perceives a performance by singer/songwriter Kipyn Martin. Often compared to Joni Mitchell, Dar Williams, and Joan Baez, songwriter Kipyn Martin sings from the core. She was a semi-finalist in the 2007 NewSong Academy Songwriting Competition, and a finalist in the 2009 Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Competition. Also, Kipyn has been delighted to share stages with such artists as Chuck E. Costa, Trina Hamlin, Beaucoup Blue, and Pops Walker. Kipyn is a versatile performer, mostly operating within blues and folk genres. Listeners can expect no frills, just soul.

2011 House Concert with Pops Walker

(photo © 2011 Scott VanGorden)