Liam Cummins writes music that pays homage to time-honored traditions while 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 nuanced craft, inventive orchestration and broad emotional range. He is a winner of a 2023 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the 2022 YoungArts Gold Winner in Classical Music and a winner of the 2022 American Prize in composition. His music has been recognized by organizations including Tribeca New Music, New York Youth Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, National Young Composers Challenge, The Silent Voices Project, Juilliard’s AXIOM Competition, the New England Philharmonic, Icarus Quartet, and NPR’s The American Sound. In 2022, he was the only young composer in the country nominated for consideration as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. An enthusiastic advocate for concert music, Liam strives to make the art form accessible and impactful for as many people as possible – especially those not frequently exposed to it.
Liam is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in composition at The Juilliard School, studying with John Corigliano. Previously, he has 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, Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program, the Atlantic Music Festival, The Walden School, the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Young Composers Program, and National YoungArts Week. Through these programs he has studied with luminaries including Martin Bresnick, David Ludwig, Pierre Jalbert, Reiko Füting, Melinda Wagner, George Tsontakis, Zhou Long, Ana Sokolovic, Eric Nathan, Pascal Le Boeuf and Chen Yi.
Liam is an avid backpacker and outdoors enthusiast. When not creating or sharing music, you’ll likely find him 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.
