German bass-baritone Martin Egel was born into a musical family; his mother was an alto singer and his father was conductor Theodor Egel. He studied music in Frankfurt and Basel, began a concert career and soon landed his first role as Figaro at the Basel Theater. From then on, he repeatedly made guest appearances at German theaters, but also in European cities such as Turin, Barcelona, London and Nantes. Beginning in 1975, he performed at the Bayreuth Festival for many years. He also made a name for himself as a narrator in television productions.