Photo by Jeremy Flemming
BIO
Willie Cornish, Jr. (b. 2000) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Fort Mill, South Carolina. Willie seeks to create art that inspires and broadens perspectives for himself and his listeners. He is passionate about creating works for film, video games, concerts, electronics, and education. Willie’s approach to music is heavily influenced by harmony, manipulation of patterns, contrast, and diversity. Willie believes that the ability to share stories/ideas, no matter the subject, makes humanity so special. He always looks outwardly at what others have created and allows it to inspire him and his creations. There is always a technique, an idea, a story, or a feeling that can/will be transferred to his music. Since fully adopting this approach, Willie feels free to allow himself and his music to be authentic to what he enjoys, experiences, and loves about life. Above all, Willie’s ultimate approach to creation is about making music that he enjoys!
This year, he was one of four composers chosen to participate in the National Band Association's Young Composer/Conductor Mentorship, where he will have his piece, Will Icarus Fly Again?, performed by The U.S. Airforce Band. Some other recent notables are the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Emerging Composers Competition, The Lightworks Film Festival, the George Shirley Vocal Competition, the Luna Nova Competition, One Found Sound Emerging Composer Award, and the New York Youth Symphony's First Music Competition. In 2022, Willie was awarded the Mattie Hipp Cunningham Scholarship at Furman University. This scholarship is awarded to one graduating senior who shows the most promise in their future music career. Willie holds degrees from Furman University (B.M.) and is currently pursuing his Master's degree at the University of Michigan. His composition teachers include Mark Kilstofte, Jay Bocook, Erik Santos, Evan Chambers, Michael Daugherty, Stephen Rush, and Roshanne Etezady.
While earning his Undergraduate degree, Willie was the Orchestration Teaching Assistant, Music Technology Teaching Assistant, and Music Theory Peer Learning Consultant. He was also a representative on the Student Diversity Council and the president of Furman’s Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. Currently, Willie is the composition teacher for the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra, the Marketing and Communications Assistant for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and the social media admin/graphic designer for the University of Michigan composition program. In Willie’s free time, he composes for the Wolverinesoft Videogame studio and enjoys being an audio recordist for films at the University of Michigan.