Born in Buenos Aires in 1958, Martin Matalon studied at the Juilliard School in New York, where he obtained his Master's degree in composition. In 1989, he founded Music Mobile, a New York-based ensemble dedicated to contemporary repertoire, and served as its director until 1996.

He has received the Simone and Cino del Luca Foundation Prize from the Institut de France (2024), the J.S. Guggenheim Foundation Prize in New York, the F. Schmitt Prize from the Institut de France Académie des Beaux-Arts, the City of Barcelona Prize, the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the Grand Prix des Lycéens.

His catalog includes a large number of chamber music and orchestral works covering a wide range of genres: musical theater, mixed music, musical tales, film concerts, vocal music, installations, music and poetry, choreographic works, opera, music and circus arts, and more.  

At the same time, he is also active as a conductor. He has conducted the Ensemble Modern, MusikFabrik, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre d'Auvergne, Court-circuit, the Orchestre National de Montpellier, the Ensemble Orchestral de Reims, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and others.

From 2017 to 2023, Martin Matalon was professor of composition at the CNSMD in Lyon.

He has been composer-in-residence at the Arsenal de Metz and the Orchestre National de Lorraine, at the Stavanger Festival in Norway, guest composer at the Les Arcs Festival, and guest composer in 2020 at the Aspects de la Musique Aujourd'hui Festival in Caen. He is currently completing his residency with the Orchestre Regional de Normandie (2022 to 2024).

His opera L'Ombre de Venceslao, with a libretto and staging by Jorge Lavelli based on a text adapted from Copi's play, premiered at the Rennes Opera in October 2016 and toured France, performing at a dozen opera houses. In 2021, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Orchestre de Paris, the Gürzenich Orchestra, and the Ars Musica Festival commissioned him to write a version of the music from Metropolis for large orchestra. This 140-minute work was performed on tour, including at the Philharmonie de Paris in May 2023.