Martin Summer was born in Feldkirch in 1988 and successfully completed his double bass studies with Prof. Francisco Obieta and the course in choral conducting and church music at the Vorarlberg State Conservatory. For his commitment as choirmaster of the Magnuschor Röns, he received the sponsorship award of the Vorarlberg Choir Association in 2012. From September 2012 Martin Summer studied singing with Prof. Claudia Rüggeberg at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, graduating with a Master’s degree in June 2018.
From February 2016 to the end of June 2017, the artist was at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he appeared in a new production as Sarastro in „Die Zauberflöte“ (Ádàm Fischer; Peter Stein), in a production for children as Osmin in „Die Entführung aus dem Serail“ and as the Monk in a new production of „Don Carlo“ (Myung-Whun Chung; Peter Stein), among other roles. He also appeared as soloist in the Mozart Requiem at the Duomo di Tortona conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Martin Summer joined the ensemble of the Theater St. Gallen for two seasons from the 2017/18 season. There he most recently interpreted roles such as Colline („La Bohème“), Podestà („Die Gezeichneten“), Rocco and Minister („Fidelio“) and Goffredo („Il Pirata“), in the new productions of „Il Trovatore“ Ferrando and in „L’Incoronazione di Poppea“ Seneca. He also appeared in „The Seasons“ (staged), was Frate in „Don Carlo“ and in a Russian double bill of Rimsky-Korsakov’s „The Immortal Kashchei“ (as the hero Stormwind) and Stravinsky’s „The Nightingale“ (as The Bonze).
Guest engagements led him in 2017, among others as Bartolo and Antonio in a studio production of „Le nozze di Figaro“ at the Bregenz Festival (Hartmut Keil; Jörg Lichtenstein), as Frère Laurence in a semi-staged performance of „Roméo et Juliette“ with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra (Kerri-Lynn Wilson) in Ingolstadt, as Zuniga („Carmen“) at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt, with a family opera by Elisabeth Naske at the Graz Opera House, as Sarastro and Commendatore („Don Giovanni“) at the Graz University of the Arts and as Osmin („Die Entführung aus dem Serail“) in a tour with the Concerto Stella Matutina.
From 2019/20, the artist was a member of the ensemble of the Hamburg State Opera for two seasons, where he sang roles including the High Priest of Baal („Nabucco“), Titurel („Parsifal“), Monterone („Rigoletto“), Zuniga („Carmen“), Sarastro („Die Zauberflöte“) and the Hermit („Der Freischütz“).
In October 2022, the young artist had a brilliant success as Ochs in the new production of „Der Rosenkvalier“ by Salzburg’s Landestheater at the Felsenreitschule Salzburg, followed by his equally successful debut as Tierbändiger/Athlet in the new production of „Lulu“ at the MusikTheater an der Wien.
The bass recently celebrated successes at the Salzburg State Theater in the new productions of „Il Barbiere di Siviglia“/Basilio and „Aida“/Ramfis, at the MusikTheater an der Wien in the new production of „Wo die wilden Kerle wohnen“ as well as as “Melchtal” in the new production of “Guillaume Tell” at the Theater St. Gallen.
The 2024/25 season began for the artist with a new production of “Die Liebe zu den drei Orangen”/König Treff at the Theater St. Gallen, followed by a new production of “Der Freischütz” at the Felsenreitschule Salzburg. In addition to various concerts and recitals, a new production of “Der Rosenkavalier”/Ochs at the Staatstheater Hannover will follow.
Concerts have taken Martin Summer to the Styriarte Festival in Graz, the Bruckner Festival in Linz and the Schubertiade in Hohenems. He is active as a soloist in oratorios in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. He studies Lied with Joseph Breinl and attended master classes with Robert Holl, Kurt Widmer, Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbänder, Renato Bruson, Luciana Serra, Luciana d’Intino, Julius Drake, Wolfram Rieger and Rudolf Jansen, among others.
Together with his piano partner Tobias Neubauer, Martin Summer regularly gives recitals and reached the finals of the international chamber music competition „Schubert und die Musik der Moderne“ in Graz in 2015. At the international „Paula-Salomon-Lindberg-Liedwettbewerb“ in October 2015, both were awarded prizes. In 2016 Martin Summer received a scholarship from the Armin Weltner Foundation, in 2019 he received a scholarship from the Richard Wagner Association Vorarlberg.
Future projects include concertante “Fidelio”/Rocco performances with the Cleveland Orchestra (Franz Welser-Möst), concerts at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and the Konzerthaus Vienna (Franz Welser-Möst), his return to the Maggio Musicale Firenze, his return to the MusikTheater an der Wien and his debut at the Vienna State Opera.