Liam Cummins finds music in every moment, from the song of wind rushing through a forest to the babble of conversation, from the dripping of water to the silence of a global pandemic, from the hum of crickets on a summer night to the dings and bangs of pots and pans.
Fed by his insatiable creativity and inventive spirit, Liam’s music pays homage to time-honored traditions while also diving into unexplored territory. His many wide-ranging works include a string quartet honoring child Holocaust victims, an evening-length tone poem for orchestra created in response to the global pandemic, a piano quartet inspired by the accelerating effects of climate change, a cello choir written for more than thirty cellists, film scores, countless improvisations in a range of styles, and even a fanfare using only household objects as instruments.
Liam’s music has been shared by orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists, and students in the United States and beyond. He has also given numerous recitals at the piano, playing the classical repertoire, his own works, and a range of keyboard improvisations. He is a passionate advocate of concert music and seeks to share his love of the art form whenever possible, programming it in new forms and surprising venues.
Liam's music has been recognized widely for its inventiveness, orchestration and broad emotional range. He is the 2022 YoungArts Gold Winner in Classical Music, awarded by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. In both 2020 and 2021, he was a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. His music has been shared on the public radio program The American Sound, and he has been a featured composer in both the Silent Voices Project and in Dolce Suono Ensemble's ComposerLab Flute. He is the only young composer in the country to be nominated for consideration as a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
Liam is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in composition at The Juilliard School, studying with John Corigliano. Liam previously studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory and the New England Conservatory. He has participated in numerous festivals and programs, including the Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program, the Atlantic Music Festival, The Walden School, and the Cleveland Institute of Music's Young Composers Program. Through these programs he has studied with luminaries such as Martin Bresnick, David Ludwig, Pierre Jalbert, Reiko Füting, Melinda Wagner, George Tsontakis, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi.
A forever curious mind, Liam believes that to be the best musician he can be, he should also be the best person he can be. He pursues a broad range of passions including writing, wildlife photography, pottery, backpacking, sailing, and environmental activism.
When not creating or sharing music, you’ll likely find Liam in the natural world, camera and notebook in hand, seeking adventure at every opportunity. In turn, these experiences deepen and enrich his lifelong passion for music.
Fed by his insatiable creativity and inventive spirit, Liam’s music pays homage to time-honored traditions while also diving into unexplored territory. His many wide-ranging works include a string quartet honoring child Holocaust victims, an evening-length tone poem for orchestra created in response to the global pandemic, a piano quartet inspired by the accelerating effects of climate change, a cello choir written for more than thirty cellists, film scores, countless improvisations in a range of styles, and even a fanfare using only household objects as instruments.
Liam’s music has been shared by orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists, and students in the United States and beyond. He has also given numerous recitals at the piano, playing the classical repertoire, his own works, and a range of keyboard improvisations. He is a passionate advocate of concert music and seeks to share his love of the art form whenever possible, programming it in new forms and surprising venues.
Liam's music has been recognized widely for its inventiveness, orchestration and broad emotional range. He is the 2022 YoungArts Gold Winner in Classical Music, awarded by the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. In both 2020 and 2021, he was a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. His music has been shared on the public radio program The American Sound, and he has been a featured composer in both the Silent Voices Project and in Dolce Suono Ensemble's ComposerLab Flute. He is the only young composer in the country to be nominated for consideration as a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
Liam is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in composition at The Juilliard School, studying with John Corigliano. Liam previously studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory and the New England Conservatory. He has participated in numerous festivals and programs, including the Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program, the Atlantic Music Festival, The Walden School, and the Cleveland Institute of Music's Young Composers Program. Through these programs he has studied with luminaries such as Martin Bresnick, David Ludwig, Pierre Jalbert, Reiko Füting, Melinda Wagner, George Tsontakis, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi.
A forever curious mind, Liam believes that to be the best musician he can be, he should also be the best person he can be. He pursues a broad range of passions including writing, wildlife photography, pottery, backpacking, sailing, and environmental activism.
When not creating or sharing music, you’ll likely find Liam in the natural world, camera and notebook in hand, seeking adventure at every opportunity. In turn, these experiences deepen and enrich his lifelong passion for music.