Artist Statement
Collaborative Virtuosity
I work with leading musicians to bring compelling and enlightening music to our audiences.
In The Greatest Show on Earth I wrote acrobatic and intense lines to showcase the brilliant musicianship of the Pittsburgh Symphony. And in Rustbelt Orpheus I worked closely with Philadelphia Orchestra principal clarinetist Ricardo Morales to craft a concerto that highlighted his impeccable technique and elegant lyricism.
In every work, I aim to place the gifts of my collaborators center stage, so we can speak to our audience with one voice.
American Realism
My sound is deeply rooted in the music of American cities, factories, plains, and canyons.
In writing Occidental Symphony for the U.S. Marine Band, I evoked the explosive tensions of the 1896 presidential election. And in Rock Island Line I juxtaposed the rusty clang of freight trains with the serene flow of the Mississippi River.
I am the product of a society with great soul and vitality, along with much suffering and many contradictions. By rooting my music in American terrain, I endeavor to make my own contributions to American culture.
Seeking the Transcendent
Above all the noise of matter and time, my music stretches toward the eternal.
My Litany of the Sacred Heart for eighth blackbird and Pacifica Quartet examined the astonishing visions of mystics over the ages. And inspired by the work of three self-taught artists, I wrote The Healing Machine to explore the connection between visible and invisible realities.
My earliest musical experiences were in sacred music, and my search for the true, the good, and the beautiful is ultimately my search for God.
Community Storytelling
I also seek, through my art, to serve the common good.
I wrote my opera Karkinos after hours of in-person interviews with cancer survivors and those who love them, generating a work that spoke for members of a community and contributed to their restoration. And with a prominent Minnesota-based youth orchestra, I brought Into the Wild on tour to Argentina as a cultural bridge and a gesture of international goodwill.
I hope, through my music, to amplify human dignity and foster solidarity.
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Contact Jacob Bancks
To inquire about commissions, collaborations, bookings, music sales, rentals, or for press inquiries, please contact me directly.