1916 The Musical

Martin Cox

Martin has been involved in music all his life; he was Head Chorister at St Paul's Cathedral, a Music Scholar at Cranleigh School and spent most of his university days at Durham, singing or acting in between lectures. He joined the BBC straight from university, as one of a very select group of Management Trainees, which led to a hugely successful career there as a Music Producer for BBC Radio Two and as a Senior Producer for BBC Radio One. He produced the daily weekday programming, outside broadcasts, road shows, concerts, orchestral and pop sessions at Maida Vale Studios and documentary programmes with many artistes including Sir Paul McCartney and Deborah Harry. After the BBC, Martin joined Telstar Records to set up a film and television production company to specialise in music programming and advertising. His first film for Sir Cameron Mackintosh, "Les Misérables- Stage by Stage" was nominated for the US Cable Television Awards and was a finalist in the Golden Rose Of Montreux Festival. Martin made subsequent films and advertising for Sir Cameron's productions of Miss Saigon, Oliver, Five Guys Named Moe and Moby Dick. He has produced and directed over 400 television commercials, promos and documentaries and has written two feature films.

Martin has a great track record as an innovator and entrepreneur; he was the producer of the UK's first interactive television programming for ITV network and was the founder of one of London's first digital strategy agencies, which he sold to a larger marketing services group in 2004. He became Chief Executive of Eyestorm, the largest online retailer of contemporary art prints, representing artists including Damien Hirst and Sir Peter Blake and has had many senior consulting positions to media owners, record companies and luxury brands. Last year, Martin returned to film making as the Producer and Director of a major documentary about the production of Handel's opera, Semele, at the Royal Opera House, La Monnaie, in Brussels, commissioned by the KT Wong Foundation. This film has been nominated for the Shanghai Film Festival.

Martin was first approached in January 2010 to make a film about 1916 The Musical, and he is delighted to have joined the team at a senior level as Executive Producer, to help make this project the success it truly deserves to be.