Mr. Martinez holds the position of Principal Clarinet with the New Jersey Symphony and Orchestra Lumos. Prior to joining his appointment, Juan was second clarinetist of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, and a member of The Orchestra Now. In 2022, he was the 1st prize winner of the Sphinx (SOPA) Excerpt Competition.

Juan is a graduate of the Yale School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with David Shifrin and Anthony McGill. He received the 1st prize in the Texas Music Festival Concerto Competition and the second prize in the Yale Gordon Concerto Competition at Peabody, where he won the Sidney Jensen Memorial Award for Outstanding Clarinet Performance for three consecutive years.

An avid chamber musician and soloist, Juan has been featured as soloist numerous times performing works of Nielsen, Françaix, Mozart, Rossini, among others. In 2019, he was selected by concert pianist Gabriela Montero to conform the Gabriela Montero Ensemble, debuting with a program of Montero’s original compositions at the prestigious Victoria Hall in Geneva, Switzerland. Highlights of his upcoming concerts include concerto performances with the New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra Lumos and the Symphony of the Americas, performing the Clarinet Concertos of Mozart, Copland and Weber.

Juan attended the New York String Orchestra Seminar for two years in a row giving sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall. He participated in summer festivals such as the National Repertory Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival and the Orchestra of the Americas. Juan is a Buffet Crampon Performing Artist.