The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) announced the appointment of Australian-born conductor Ingrid Martin as its new Assistant Conductor and Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador, to commence with the 2025–2026 season. Martin will also serve as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. Martin succeeds Na’Zir McFadden in the role, who held the position from 2022 to 2025.
As Assistant Conductor and Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador, Martin will work closely with Music Director Jader Bignamini and guest conductors on both the PVS Classical Series and the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series. In addition to providing valuable support during rehearsals, she will lead pre-concert lectures at Orchestra Hall and conduct a variety of programs on the Educational Concert Series, Young People’s Family Concert Series, and PNC Pops Series, as well as select programs throughout the community, including DTE Community Concerts.
Martin will also serve as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra (DSYO) under the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles (CYE).
Martin was the first Australian admitted to the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship Mentoring Program (2024–2025). She was also a fellow of the Australian Conducting Academy (2023–2024) and the Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellowship with the Orchestra of the Americas (2022).
Before pursuing conducting professionally, Martin worked for a decade in emergency medicine then retrained as a teacher. Her approach to music and leadership is deeply informed by the skills she developed in these careers: listening closely, thinking clearly under pressure, and communicating complex ideas.
