Liam James Hockley
Pronouns
he/him
Location
Vancouver,
BC -
Canada
Links
Status
Active
Canadian clarinetist and sound artist Liam Hockley is a versatile performer of classical music and passionate advocate for new and experimental work. Described as a musician for whom “alternative or avant-garde approaches to his instrument are only part of the everyday tool kit” (Georgia Straight), his practice brings together contemporary music performance, improvisation, and live electronics.
His debut solo album, Pulse-Tide, was named one of The Wire’s 10 best Modern Classical releases of 2024 and praised as “at once vigorous and forensic, grappling with this music’s overall physicality, while also paying microscopic attention to its fine details, its agitated particles and molecular trails.” Forthcoming releases include a collaborative project with composer Ray Evanoff and an EP of solo improvisations with electronics.
Liam has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia, with appearances at the Stockhausen Courses, KLANGRAUM, Vancouver New Music, and Music on Main. Recent solo projects explore spectral music, instrumental polyphony, improvisation, and interactive electronics. An active freelance performer, he regularly appears with major ensembles across British Columbia and has been a clarinetist with the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra since 2020.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of British Columbia, where his research explored performer agency in complexist music. Liam is also a committed educator with extensive experience in post-secondary, conservatory, and private settings; his students have won international competitions, performed with leading youth ensembles, and gone on to top university programs.
Canadian clarinetist and sound artist Liam Hockley is a versatile performer of classical music and passionate advocate for new and experimental work. Described as a musician for whom “alternative or avant-garde approaches to his instrument are only part of the everyday tool kit” (Georgia Straight), his practice brings together contemporary music performance, improvisation, and live electronics.
His debut solo album, Pulse-Tide, was named one of The Wire’s 10 best Modern Classical releases of 2024 and praised as “at once vigorous and forensic, grappling with this music’s overall physicality, while also paying microscopic attention to its fine details, its agitated particles and molecular trails.” Forthcoming releases include a collaborative project with composer Ray Evanoff and an EP of solo improvisations with electronics.
Liam has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia, with appearances at the Stockhausen Courses, KLANGRAUM, Vancouver New Music, and Music on Main. Recent solo projects explore spectral music, instrumental polyphony, improvisation, and interactive electronics. An active freelance performer, he regularly appears with major ensembles across British Columbia and has been a clarinetist with the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra since 2020.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of British Columbia, where his research explored performer agency in complexist music. Liam is also a committed educator with extensive experience in post-secondary, conservatory, and private settings; his students have won international competitions, performed with leading youth ensembles, and gone on to top university programs.
