About

WAYNE HANKIN a leading artist of period woodwinds- instruments dating before 1750. Over a 25 year career has performed over 4000 concerts, played every major city in the United States, Canada and countless performances venues world wide.

Born in 1955, he was raised in Baltimore, then received musical training in New England at Hartt College of Music (BM Music History) becoming the first recorder major, then completed his studies at New England Conservatory (MM) receiving an artist diploma in historical performance.

After graduation he was invited to play in Europe settling in West Berlin. There, he performed in the top performance ensembles and theatre companies Germany offered. He earned his first commissions as a composer as well as beginning his working relationship as Meredith Monk’s music director during the 1980’s/90s.

Resettling in the United States, he continued performing over a 15 year period. Then hit the road and performed with Cirque du Soleil for nearly 5 years.

Although his discipline focuses on early music, Mr Hankin branched out from this pre-classical genre. He played with several notable jazz figures (Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Jackie McLean), music directed the top theatre companies in the world (Schaubühne, Long Wharf, Alley, Center Stage, BAM, Odeon Paris) recorded pop with many major recording artists (from They Might be Giants to Jewell) and put his classical artistry towards several major labels (ECM, RCA, BMG, SONY) and numerous television shows (CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, BRAVO) On top of all this he found time to make his conducting debut at Houston Grand Opera.

Since many of his instruments were repertory-less, composition became a necessity. Composing over 300 works for period instruments Wayne received numerous awards and commissions (National Endowment for the Arts, ASCAP Awards, Meet the Composer Grants). In 1998, Wayne received from Austria the honorary Markengemeinde Molln citation for his work in elevating the jaws’ harp (trump) into a serious instrument.

Presently Mr. Hankin works for Cirque du Soleil in Montreal while making his home base in Vermont. He is starring in a new film (7 Solos), creating a special program for Johns Hopkins to enable voiceless people to speak using the trump (The Striking Voice), and his ultimate goal is to create a new kind of television program that, not only makes understanding music accessible to any person who wants to read, write, compose and perform, but to revive the music industry and preserve the livelihoods of musicians & composers everywhere.

ABOUT WAYNE

“In all my years I have never heard anyone play those instruments as well as you do, Wayne. Beautiful!”

Rosa Ponselle

considered one of the greatest singers of the 20th Century.

at Cirque du Soleil

The Laurel & Hardy

Waltz

composing at home