Adam Cockerham

THEORBO

Early music artist Adam Cockerham specializes in theorbo, lute and baroque guitar. Beginning his performance career as a classical guitarist, he then gravitated toward historical plucked strings, preferring the collaborative opportunities of chamber music from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. As an accompanist and continuo player, Cockerham has performed with numerous ensembles – Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, the Mostly Mozart Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, TENET Vocal Artists, Four Nations Ensemble, ARTEK, New York Baroque Incorporated, the Sebastians, the Academy of Sacred Drama and J415. He founded voice and plucked string duo Jarring Sounds with mezzo-soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah.

Beyond chamber music, Cockerham concentrates on 17th-century Italian vocal music. He is the Associate Music Director of the Academy of Sacred Drama, a group that is dedicated to the revival of Baroque-era oratorios. In the past, Cockerham has served as assistant conductor for dell’Arte Opera Ensemble’s production of Cavalli’s La Calisto and was involved in numerous modern world premiere performances with opera companies such as Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik and Ars Minerva.

His early training as a performer of modern music on guitar has led to a sub-specialty of new music for old instruments. Cockerham received his doctorate from the Juilliard School where he was awarded the Richard F. French Prize for best dissertation.