About
Yamen Martini (born 1985 in Aleppo) is a Syrian-Belgian trumpet player and composer whose work bridges musical worlds shaped by jazz, maqam, Balkan influences, and experimental sound. Marked by a transnational artistic journey, his music questions borders and reshapes ideas of identity and belonging.
His versatile, improvisation-rich style has shone on stages across the SWANA region and Europe, performing both solo and with numerous groups.
Residencies include BOZAR as part of Halaqat’s Impro Sessions and Hajovna – Červená Studna in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia.
He has contributed music to theatre and various artistic projects, including the inclusive theatre production MOVE, collaborating with musicians Rob Kanters, Piet Maris, and Bassel Abou Fakher. His compositions also feature in Rachid Benzine’s Lettres à Nour, performed at Théâtre de Liège and Festival d’Avignon.
More recently, he led Klankenkoorts, a project by Unie Der Zorgelozen in collaboration with FMDO, Zuidwest, and kleinVerhaal, sharing stories that reflect social and political realities alongside writer Geert Six.
He also performed with HERMESensemble for the Grand Finale ballet — a piece choreographed by Hofesh Shechter and presented by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen — contributing as a flugelhorn player while also singing and performing on santur and kaval. The production was staged at Opera Ghent and Opera Antwerp.
In addition to joining Jaune Toujours for the award-winning Europeana album and subsequent tour, he founded and collaborated with formations such as Ashtabiez, 3’Ain, and Comartinuts.
His film work includes House of Hope, a documentary from the West Bank – Palestine by Marjolein Busstra, for which he and Jesse Koolhaas composed the soundtrack together. The film premiered at Theater Carré in Amsterdam during the IDFA festival, featuring a live performance of part of the score with Jesse and Yamen on trumpet.
Currently, he is expanding his coaching and composing work at kleinVerhaal, a social-artistic organisation from Ostend, and is involved in a new opera project in collaboration with organisations from Vlaanderen.