Career

1962
Monika Martin is born in Taurus on May 7th in Graz.

1972
Monika makes her first stage experience in the children‚Äôs choir of the Grazer Oper, where she e.g. acts as ragamuffin in the opera "Carmen", in "Das Weiße Rössl am Wolfgangsee", in "La Giaconda", and also in "Die Verkaufte Braut" and "Macbeth".

1981/82
After the A-levels at the School of Applied arts Monika begins to study Art History and Folklore, and also starts a Singing study at the University for Music and Performing arts in Graz.

1986
Monika joins the dance music band "Heart Breakers" as lead singer and finances her academic study that way.

1990
The first album with her band "Heart Breakers" entitled "Dafür dank‚Äô ich dir" is released. In the same year Monika receives the doctorate of Philosophy.

1992
Breakup of the band "Heart Breakers" true to the motto "twenty years are enough" (Monika took part for six years).

1993/94

Monika seeks contact to various bands via advertisements, but there is no new collaboration with a band. Monika decides to start up a solo career and sends a demo cassette with three songs to four competent persons in the music business. Walter Widemair from Koch Records in Lienz / East Tyrol recognises the potential and the recognition value of her voice.

1995
Monika signs her first recording contract as solo artist at Koch.

1996
The title "La luna blu" alone makes music business and public prick their ears up. Being one of her "all time hits", the album sells far over 100.000 times and is awarded Gold in Austria. Her first TV appearance at the pre-contest to the Austrian "Grand Prix der Volksmusik‚Äù brings the second position, in the contest final place 6. She is both writer and composer of the performed title.

1997
With "Immer nur Sehnsucht" Monika Martin again participates in the Austrian Grand Prix (place 4) and qualifies once more for the final in Zurich (place 6).

1998
Monika expands her career in Germany. Already in January she wins the "Volkstümliche Hitparade" at ZDF and attains place 3 of the "ZDF-Superhitparade der Volksmusik" in Offenburg shortly after.

1999
Monika stays on the road of success in Germany and is awarded the "Goldene Eins" of ARD in Hamburg. At the "Schlagerparade der Volksmusik" with Andy Borg she attains the first place. Furthermore the duet "My Love‚Äù , recorded with Nockalm Quintett becomes a success and is awarded Gold.

2000
After have been working as an art teacher for ten years, Monika Martin decides to quit her previous job and work as a fully professional soloist. Her CD "Mein Liebeslied" becomes one of the topselling albums in the total result of the year and attains the third place in the Media Control salescharts behind Kastelruther Spatzen and Hansi Hinterseer. Yet in the same year the album "Klinge mein Lied‚Äù attains Gold status and makes Monika Martin the most successful female folk soloist in Austria for 15 years!

2001
As the "silent star", which she is called in the meantime due to her unassuming behaviour, Monika is a well and often received guest at famous TV shows. Her remarkable voice accounts for intensive airplay, which is reflected in numerous positionings in nationwide radio charts.
Her album "Napoli Adieu" enters the charts double successfully: in Austria it remains in the Top20 for weeks, in Germany it even attains the Top10 of the Media Control Schlager charts.
In the Media Control salescharts Monika Martin furthermore ranks third behind Hansi Hinterseer and Kastelruther Spatzen.

2002
The album "Mein Gefühl" ties in with the continuous growth. The single "Hast du heute schon gelächelt‚Äù becomes number 1 in the German airplay charts straightaway. "Mein Gefühl" enters the Top 10 (place 6) of the Austrian album sales charts and also the German album charts, and attains place 7 of Germany‚Äôs schlager sales charts.
Along with the solo album Monika publishes a further longplay album with Francine Jordi and Mara Kayser which is titled "Drei Stimmen d`Amour". Representing a collection of their most popular songs, the album enters the Austrian album charts and becomes number 1 in the German airplay charts.
At the end of the year the album "Stilles Gold" is released, a "best of" her greatest successes, with which Monika is represented in the Austrian album sales charts for 14 weeks.
In Germany especially the duet single with Karel Gott "Lass die Träume nie verloren geh‚Äôn" establishes and is number 1 in the German airplay charts for three weeks. Also in Belgium the title remains number 1 of the hit parade for five weeks.
The result of the year again shows that Monika Martin is the best selling singer behind Hansi Hinterseer and Kastelruther Spatzen.

2003
Monika still remains on place 3 of the Media Control sales charts. Furthermore she attains place 3 in the total result of the schlager sector behind Andrea Berg and Michelle for the first time.
Due to the international music market‚Äôs interest, Monika Martin - as first folk singer of the German speaking region ever - publishes an album in English language in seven countries of South Africa (12 of the most famous songs) in 2003. Furthermore the album "Himmel aus Glas" is released, with which the singer remains in the Austrian sales charts for 14 weeks.

2004
The longplay album "La luna blu" is awarded Gold in Austria. Beside the release of two new solo albums, "Eine Liebe reicht für zwei" / "Ave Maria - Lieder zur stillen Zeit" (Christmas album) the first DVD is published. With the clearance sale Monika Martin attains top positions in the German DVD charts (place 5 of the international evaluation) and the DVD charts in Austria (place 4).

2005
Starting with the album "Schmetterling d`Amour" we can also see and hear a slightly different Monika Martin. She is able to bring her typical musical charisma also into songs with a higher tempo, like in "Komm setz mein Herz in Flammen". What makes a typical Monika Martin song, is thus possible in any musical packing. The new variety emanates from a synthesis of the well-tried team and new influences, keen to experiment, amongst others the collaboration with Andreas Bärtels, a top-class composer and writer from Berlin.

2006
One of the first effects of this advancement is the nomination for ECHO 2006, an award that solely depends on the international sales chart figures to make for a nomination of the interpreter. As the only woman among the ECHO nominees in the category "Folk" Monika Martin currently is the most successful female soloist in folk music.
In July her new album "Heute fühl` ich mich wie zwanzig" is released by KOCH Universal Music.
At the "Grand Prix der Volksmusik‚Äù Monika Martin attains the fourth place at last after a counting mishap, and has to give back the already received prize for the second place in front of running cameras - because of the manner in which she does that, she is elected the "Winner of hearts‚Äù by the media. For the first time Monika Martin receives the sought-after "Goldene Stimmgabel" as most successful "Female soloist folk music", handed over by Dieter Thomas Heck due to the sales of her album "Schmetterling d`Amour".

2007
On the tenth anniversary of the "Krone der Volksmusik" Monika Martin is awarded this important award as most successful female soloist in folk music (best selling CD), handed out by her former disciples in the course of the Eurovision TV show of the same title with Gunter Emmerlich. So she can continue her success of the previous years already at the beginning of the year.
The solo album "Aloha blue" enters the German album sales charts at place 47. In her home country Austria Monika Martin makes it into the Top 10 of the Austrian album sales charts (place 10).

2008
The ECHO nomination in January heralds a "golden" year for Monika Martin. In April the record label Koch Universal announces that the album "Aloha Blue" attained Gold status in Austria. In autumn Monika Martin receives a special award for over one million sold records, handed out by her mother who appears as surprise guest in the course of the "Herbstfest der Volksmusik" with Florian Silbereisen. In November she is elected to place 3 of the "Stadlpost Starwahl‚Äù by her fans. Shortly after Monika Martin wins the "Golden Tulip‚Äù, which is the most important public award of the Benelux. These awards, and finally Gold in Austria for the album "Heute fühl‚Äô ich mich wie zwanzig" show that the new path, struck by Monika Martin since 2005, turns out to be the right one - the results tell their own tale. After the solo album "Und ewig ruft die Liebe" Monika Martin‚Äôs first chant solo album "Erhebet die Herzen" with traditional and new chants is released in autumn.

2009
Following up the released chant album Monika Martin starts her first church tour "Erhebet die Herzen" in January. This very special tour is continued in August (36 church concerts).
The solo album of the year 2009, "Du hast mich geküsst", is released Sep. 18th, 2009, and at the same time the shooting for the second DVD takes place in Croatia.

2010
On March 5th, 2010 Monika Martin`s second best of album "Das Beste von Monika Martin - ganz persönlich" is released as double CD. It is enriched with two new songs - "Der verlorene Sohn" (a homage to Semino Rossi) and the aria "Dein Geheimnis" ("Nessun Dorma"). At the same time the second DVD comes on the market ("Das Beste von Monika Martin - ganz persönlich"). On October 15th, 2010 the new solo album "Wir dürfen träumen davon" (We may dream of it) is released - the dream comes true with 14 new songs, including a duet with the Dutch singer Elisa de Man.

2011
Due to a multiplicity of own publications Monika Martin decides to go to seclusion with her team in 2011. With intensity and much time she creates the album „Ein Leben lang vielleicht“, the most even-tempered in her career, which is released in January 2012.

2013
This year has been a year of new orientation. For 18 years Monika Martin had been on a road to success with her recording label Universal (formerly Koch Records). With her team that she collected in all the years it had been fulfilled working. Nevertheless the time had come to bring fresh air and change. Monika Martin separated from Universal in good relations and changed to the young, up-and-coming recording label Telamo. Since many of the „old team“ had become self-employed in the meantime, it was possible to continue cooperation with the majority of familiar colleagues.

2014
In this year my old record label Universal published the double album „Herzregen“. At the same time Monika Martin was about to create her debut album „Mit Dir“ at the new record label Telamo. She is very happy about the fact that this was the first album where she was the official producer.

2015
In March 2015 the album „Mit Dir“ and the DVD „Mit Dir am Meer“ was launched via Telamo. The album reached Gold status on the first day of sale. The shooting for the DVD took place on Mallorca. In Germany the album reached place 13 in the international sales charts, in Austria place 6.
With this album Monika Martin entered a new road in terms of her music. She will continue singing calm songs for her lifetime, but from now on there is also a lively, danceable side in her music.
In Belgium she was awarded the „Goldene Antenne“ of BRF2 in September.

2016
This year Monika Martin entered place 1 more than once in the Austrian Airplay Charts with the song „Die neue Wirklichkeit“. Also for Monika Martin a new reality had begun because, as she stated herself, she had to become 54 to do her first performance in a disco :-)
On October 14th, 2016 Monika started a pioneer project: She performed her first live show on the internet.
2016 also has been the year she was nominated for the Smago!-Award.

2017
On January 8th, 2017 Monika won the Smago!-Award in Berlin as the only Austrian. This award she received for her well-done musical metamorphosis.
In this year Monika will go on a big solo-tour with band for the first time, which will lead her to Germany and for the first time also to Austria.
On October 14th, 2017 there will also be a live concert on the internet again.