Praised as, “colorfully orchestrated, invitingly lyrical,” (The New York Times) and, “highly caffeinated,” (The Boston Globe), the music of Illinois composer Jacob Bancks (b. 1982) engages and inspires musicians and audiences around the world. His works have been performed by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, eighth blackbird, and Pacifica Quartet, the United States Marine Band, and the Quad City Symphony, and many others. A 2019 recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship, he has been honored or commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI, the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, and the U.S. Department of Education. Born in Minnesota, since 2011 he and his family have made their home in the Quad Cities, he serves as associate professor on the faculty of Augustana College. In 2021, the Quad City Symphony will stage his first opera Karkinos; other current projects include a concerto for clarinetist Ricardo Morales, co-commissioned by the Quad City Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra. More information at www.jbancks.com.