Graduated with a Gold Diploma at the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba, Karla Martínez continued her studies as a pianist at the Reina Sofía School of Music, where she pursue a Master's Degree in Music Performance with the prestigious piano professors Dimitri Bashkirov and Denis Lossev and Marta Gulyas in chamber music. Karla Martínez received from the hands of Her Majesty Queen Sofía the diploma for the most outstanding chamber music student as a member of the Danzi Group. Subsequently, Karla obtained a postgraduate degree in music and advanced studies at the Liceu in Barcelona with maestro Tensy Krismant. 

Winner of the competitions María Clara Cullell in Costa Rica, Juventudes Musicales Piano Competition in Vilafranca del Penedés and Piano Cicle de Primavera in Barcelona, Karla Martínez was also recognised in the Amadeo Roldán and Musicalia piano competitions in Cuba and in chamber music in the L’Arjau and UNEAC competitions. 

She has performed in concert halls and music festivals throughout Cuba, America and Europe, and played as a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba and the Sinfónica de Oriente. Karla Martínez has also worked with important musicians such as composer, guitarist and conductor Leo Brouwer, conductors Baldur Brönnimann, Ronald Zollman, José Antonio Méndez, among others. Internationally, she has performed in Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Uruguay and especially throughout Spain. 

She currently combines her concert life with her work as a teacher at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. She has also taught at the Centro Superior Katarina Gurska and the Conservatorio Superior de Castilla y León in Salamanca. In 2022 she released her CD Cuba piano contemporáneo on the Calle440 label.