Martin Smolka studied composition in Prague with Marek Kopelent. Since 1989, his works have been performed internationally. His sound material is often based on familiar noises (such as ship and train sirens, machine noises, rain noises). These sonic memories shape his often nostalgic and sometimes grotesque musical language. More recently, he began to collage elementary musical shapes such as triads or string cantilenas, which he then consistently deforms: detuning through micro-intervals, shifting using a hocketus or other techniques of alienation. In recent years he has written Wooden clouds (2018) for ensemble complemented by Harry Partch instruments, Stretto (2019) for vocal sextet and vibraphone, Sicut Nix (2020) for choir and Presto e Lento (2022) for piano and orchestra.

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