Violinist, Clayton Hancock, currently resides in Shorewood, WI, and performs in concerts and recitals around the United States. Clay has been featured as a soloist across the United States, France, and Germany, and in 2020, he made his professional solo debut playing Piazzolla’s Otoño Porteño from the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas and Vivaldi’s Spring from the Four Seasons with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Success at local, national, and international competitions have led Clay to concerto performances and recitals with the Germantown Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Youth Symphony, Moscow Ballet, Memphis Chamber Music Society, Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, YoungArts, and the Beethoven Club. 

 

 

Clay has a rich love of chamber music, and some of his closest chamber music mentors have been members of the Borromeo String Quartet. During his final year of study at NEC, his string quartet won the prestigious NEC Honors Ensemble Competition. Recitals in Jordan Hall, the Rockport Shalin Liu Performance Center, and community engagement performances were some of the highlights of his quartet’s residency. During his summers, Clay has had the privilege of performing and studying chamber music at music festivals such as the Heifetz International Music Institute, Aspen Music Festival, and Meadowmount School of Music. Playing for Midori, Stefan Jackiw, Tomo Keller, and Annie Fullard are some of Clay’s most memorable masterclass performances.

 

Orchestra never ceases to grab Clay’s attention as a performer. He has been fortunate to hold many leadership positions in orchestral settings. Some of his noteworthy appointments have been concertmaster of the NEC Symphony, principal second violin of the NEC Philharmonia, assistant concertmaster of the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, and principal second violin of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Clay began his professional orchestral career in 2023, and he has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Since September of 2024, he performs full time in the second violin section of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

 

Clay began his violin studies at age four with his father, Steven Hancock, and he continued his violin studies with Christina Castelli from 2012-2020 at the New Jersey Academy of Music. Clay earned his Bachelor of Music degree under the guidance of Ayano Ninomiya at the New England Conservatory of Music. Joy Brown Wiener, Frank Almond, and Peter Slowik have been other important musical mentors for his musical development. When he has the chance, Clay also enjoys learning and performing fiddle and jazz music. When he’s not on the stage or in the practice room, Clay enjoys exploring the outdoors, woodworking, working on his grandfather’s 1965 Mustang, and serving in his local church.