She made her operatic debut in 1960 at San Francisco Opera as Theresa in La sonnambula [2] and at 21 was the youngest member of the company that season.
[3] She continued to sing a number of comprimario mezzo-soprano roles with the company through 1969, including Sister Anne in the 1961 world premiere of Norman Dello Joio's opera Blood Moon.
[4] Her Metropolitan Opera (Met) debut came on December 19, 1962, when she sang Flora Bervoix in Verdi's La traviata alongside Anna Moffo in the title role.
Martin performed with Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1971 to 1988 and at the Bayreuth Festival from 1968 to 1997, as Eva and Magdalena (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg); Fricka, Sieglinde, and Brünnhilde (Die Walküre); Gutrune and 2nd Norn (Götterdämmerung); Fricka and Freia (Das Rheingold) and Kundry (Parsifal).
Martin retired from the stage in 2000 to live in Nevada County, California, where she gave singing lessons and occasional recitals and concerts.