Welsh landscape in centre of London

A musical taste of 'Betws-y-Coed' by young composer Nina Martin will be premiered by the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain this weekend at the Royal College of Music.

The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain will end their Summer Course with a sold-out concert at the Royal College of Music in London on Saturday 9th August.

As part of the organisation's long-term policy of encouraging young composers to write for the brass band medium, a trio of world premieres will be heard from the winners of its 2025 Young Composer Competition.

Betws-y-Coed

One of these is 'Betws-y-Coed' written by 20-year-old composer and saxophonist Nina Martin (above), currently a student at the Welsh College of Music & Drama, and previously at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music.

From Cheshire, Nina doesn't come from a musical family, although she told 4BR that she was exposed to many musical genres through childhood with her mum being from Brazil and her father having "a huge record collection".

She started to play the piano as a child, later picking up the oboe and saxophone and achieving three Grade 8 distinctions by the end of high school. At the age of 15, her first String Quartet was premiered at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall by the orchestra's string players — followed by two further performances.

Since then, she has won the Howarth of London Single Reed Prize as well as the Sandbach Concert Series Young Musician of the Year and the Peter Redfearn Prize for Composition, as well as being Highly Commended in the BBC Young Composer Competition.

Critical acclaim

Further works have been premiered by the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Session Orchestra, Equilibrium Quartet, RNCM and RWCMD Saxophone Choir, and more. Nina's works have also been featured in the Sound and Music British Music Collection, has seen her collaborate with the Royal Northern Ballet School, and be featured on UK Selector Radio.

Her most recent work, 'Mycelium Network' was part of an installation at the Bute Park Christmas Lights Show, whilst she has also gained growing critical acclaim. Glyn Pursglove of the influential Seen and Heard International stating that she was, "a young composer of whom we shall hear much more in the years to come... indeed, young as she is, she already has an impressive past."

That immediate forward momentum will now see 'Betws-y-Coed', her first brass band work, played by the NYBBGB conducted by Martyn Brabbins.

North Wales inspiration

"I can't wait,"she said. "I entered the competition as I wanted to explore the vast sound world of a brass band in my writing, and these talented young musicians will bring this piece to life. I'm often driven by environmental activism, and it has always been a focus for me to take inspiration from nature."

'Betws-y-Coed' is inspired by my first solo backpacking trip to the wonderful area in North Wales. I went to a campsite and headed off hiking — almost getting lost at times but just loving the landscape.

I wrote musical ideas based on the bubbling of the river, the contours of the surrounding hills and the feeling of joy when immersed in our natural habitat. The ideas came to me and as I always have manuscript with me, I wrote them down whilst they were still fresh in my mind.

However, this joy is tinged with tension and nostalgia to represent doubts whether or not this beautiful place will be around in the many years to come as we battle the climate crisis.

The main romantic theme can be considered to represent both a tragic romance and battle between the human race and the natural world."

The main romantic theme can be considered to represent both a tragic romance and battle between the human race and the natural worldNina Martin

Learning curve

Nina revealed that she was persuaded to enter the competition by her tutor John Hardy, and although she already had prior experience with brass instruments, it was still a steep learning process.

"I always try to learn about the blend of instruments I am writing for to give the musicians the best experience of performing my music, and so I read up about the orchestration of a brass band and attended some concerts to hear just how the colours and textures blend.

The sound of a brass band has such an elemental feel about it, and I was also encouraged by teacher Andy Scott to explore the medium."

Continue

Now in her second year of her BMus degree course in Cardiff, Nina has already begun her career as a young professional and wants to continue to combine composing and performing after she graduates.

"I really want to continue combining both. There are so many experiences and opportunities that have opened up for me, and I hope to study abroad in my fourth year of undergraduate studies.

After that we will see, but I hope to continue work as a professional composer, performing my own compositions as often as I can and using my work to support climate charities by pledging a percentage of my income, sharing awareness of the climate crisis, and empowering other creatives to do the same!"