Martin Summer was born in Feldkirch and successfully completed his studies in double bass under Prof. Francisco Obieta, as well as the course in choral conducting and church music, at the Vorarlberg State Conservatoire. In 2012, he was awarded the Vorarlberg Choral Association’s Encouragement Prize for his work as choir director of the Magnuschor Röns. From September 2012, Martin Summer studied singing under Prof. Claudia Rüggeberg at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, graduating with a Master’s degree in June 2018.
The 2025/26 season began for the artist with a new production of “The Flying Dutchman”/Daland at the Felsenreitschule, followed by his return to the MusikTheater an der Wien for a new production of “I Am Vincent and I Am Not Afraid”. Further highlights included concerts of Haydn’s “The Four Seasons” at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst, a new production of “Les contes d’Hofmann” at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, and concerts of “Verdi’s Requiem” at the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen.
Future projects include Der Rosenkavalier”/’Ochs’at the Vienna State Opera and at Cologne Opera, concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic, and his debut at the Erl Festival.
From February 2016 to the end of June 2017, the artist was at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he appeared, amongst other roles, as Sarastro in a new production of “The Magic Flute” (Ádàm Fischer; Peter Stein), as Osmin in a production for children of “The Abduction from the Seraglio”, and as Monk in a new production of “Don Carlo” (Myung-Whun Chung; Peter Stein). He also appeared as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem at the Duomo di Tortona, conducted by Zubin Mehta.
From the 2017/18 season onwards, Martin Summer was a member of the ensemble at the Theatre St. Gallen for two seasons. There, his most recent roles included Colline/”La Bohème”, Podestà (“Die Gezeichneten”), Rocco and the Minister (“Fidelio”) and Goffredo (‘Il Pirata’), as well as Ferrando in the new production of “Il Trovatore” and Seneca in “L’incoronazione di Poppea”. He also appeared in “The Seasons” (staged version), and featured in a Russian double bill comprising Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Immortal Kashchei” (as the hero Stormwind) and Stravinsky’s “The Nightingale”/Bonze.
Guest engagements in 2017 took him, amongst other roles, to the Bregenz Festival as Bartolo and Antonio in a studio production of “Le nozze di Figaro” (Hartmut Keil; Jörg Lichtenstein), as Frère Laurence in a semi-staged performance of “Roméo et Juliette” with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (Kerri-Lynn Wilson) in Ingolstadt, as Zuniga/”Carmen” at the Klagenfurt City Theatre, in a family opera by Elisabeth Naske at the Graz Opera House, as Sarastro and the Commendatore (“Don Giovanni”) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, and as Osmin (“The Abduction from the Seraglio”) on a tour with Concerto Stella Matutina.
From the 2019/20 season onwards, the artist was a member of the ensemble at the Hamburg State Opera for two seasons, where he sang, amongst other roles, the High Priest of Baal (“Nabucco”, Titurel (“Parsifal”), Monterone (“Rigoletto”), Zuniga (“Carmen”), Sarastro (“The Magic Flut”) and the Hermit (“Der Freischütz”).
In October 2022, the young artist enjoyed a resounding success as Ochs in the new production of “Der Rosenkavalier” by the Salzburg Landestheater at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg, followed by his equally successful debut as the Animal Tamer/Athlete in the new production of “Lulu” at the MusikTheater an der Wien.
During the 2023/24 season, the bass enjoyed successes at the Salzburg Landestheater in the new productions of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”/ Basilio and “Aida”/ Ramfis, at the MusikTheater an der Wien in the new production of “Where the Wild Things Are”, and 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 “The Love for the Three Oranges” (as King Treff) at the Theater St. Gallen, followed by a new production of “Der Freischütz” at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg. In addition to various concerts and recitals, this was followed by a new production of “Der Rosenkavalier” (as Ochs) at the Staatstheater Hannover.
Concerts have regularly taken Martin Summer to events including the Styriarte Festival in Graz, the Brucknerfest in Linz and the Schubertiade in Hohenems. As a soloist in oratorios, he performs in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. He studied art song with Joseph Breinl and attended masterclasses with, amongst others, Robert Holl, Kurt Widmer, Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbänder, Renato Bruson, Luciana Serra, Luciana d’Intino, Julius Drake, Wolfram Rieger and Rudolf Jansen.
Together with his piano partner Tobias Neubauer, Martin Summer regularly gives recitals, and in 2015 reached the final of the international chamber music competition ‘Schubert and the Music of Modernity’ in Graz. At the international ‘Paula Salomon Lindberg Lieder Competition’ in October 2015, both were awarded prizes. In 2016, Martin Summer received a scholarship from the Armin Weltner Foundation, and in 2019 he received a scholarship from the Richard Wagner Association of Vorarlberg.