Biography

Martine G. Mauro-Wade is a drummer, composer, and arranger based in New York forging his own path through the modern music landscape. His lifetime of performance, education, and creative development has allowed him to work among leading global figures in the performing arts. In 2024, Martine was featured alongside choreographer Camille A. Brown in The New York Times article titled Keeping the Spirit of Harlem Dance Alive. The article celebrates Brown as “one of the most visible figures in contemporary dance… working hard to preserve the traditions of Black dance.”

 

Martine's work with Brown began in 2022 as the substitute drummer for her Broadway directorial debut, the seven (7) Tony Award-nominated revival of For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. Since then, their collaboration has continued into her dance company, Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Martine considers himself lucky to be one of the six (6) composers involved with the Company’s latest work, I AM. The piece received its world premiere at Jacob’s Pillow in 2024 and New York premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2025. It became a NY Times Critic’s pick and received Bessie nominations for Best Choreography and Best Sound Design.

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"The high-voltage artists of Camille A. Brown & Dancers and the gifted musical trio that accompanies her evening-length I AM – seek joy with effort and ferocity. From the opening moments where Martine Mauro-Wade’s drum seems to activate Kai Irby and Nya Cymone Carter’s swinging braids, the polyrhythms of the urban street are punched out, literally and figuratively." - TheArtFuse.org

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You can see Martine along with the entirety of the creative team during the piece's development in the PBS American Masters series Camille A. Brown: Giant Step, streaming now.

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Continuing his Broadway appearances, Martine served as one of the original subs for the drum set chair in Alicia Keys’ thirteen (13) Tony Award-nominated and Grammy Award winning musical, Hell’s Kitchen, during its consecutive runs at both The Public Theater and The Shubert Theater.

 

Martine has also held staff and affiliate positions at NYU Tisch  Dance, SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, and the José Limón Dance Foundation, providing improvised drum set accompaniment across a wide range of styles and techniques including Graham, Cunningham, Limón, Ballet, and various other modern, contemporary, improvisational, and Afrocentric approaches.

 

After completing the two-year diploma program at The Collective School of Music's famous Drummers Collective in Manhattan, Martine graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance and a minor in Media Studies from Purchase College (SUNY). Throughout this time, he has had the privilege of studying under master musicians such as Peter Retzlaff, Ian Froman, Kenny Washington, Vince Cherico, and Keith Carlock. His diverse education, combining coursework, practice, and performance with a keen interest in globalized culture, has shaped a career defined by an expansive exploration of musical styles and narratives.

 

“Driven by a passion to inspire, educate, and unite, I strive to blend tradition with innovation, creating music that transcends boundaries and connects us with culture in its purest form. My focus remains on contributing to a global dialogue through the universal language of music, reflecting a world where art serves the communities it represents.”