Alan Hankers

Alan Hankers is a composer, sound designer, and keyboardist with a passion for sonic storytelling and collaboration. His work spans concert halls, films, video games, commercials, and studio albums. Drawing from his background in classical, metal, and electronic music, he explores the intersections of composition, sound design, interactive technology, and performance.

He collaborates regularly with filmmakers, game developers, designers, and a wide range of creatives. His music has been featured in films, at the Game Awards, and in campaigns for brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Google. His scores have received international recognition, including Best Original Score from the Independent Shorts Awards for the animated short film Blue (Preymaker, dir. Robert Petrie). Recent projects include scoring the animated short Project Denmark (Preymaker, dir. Robert Petrie) and serving as music editor and mixer for the feature documentary Jean Cocteau (Fischio Films, dir. Lisa Immordino Vreeland). He is currently composing and implementing the original music and sound design for the upcoming video game Heroes Sucks (Dawning Light Studios).

Alan’s concert works have been performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia by ensembles such as the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Nodus Ensemble, and the South Carolina Philharmonic. Upcoming projects include a new orchestral work commissioned by the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra.

As a performer, Alan has toured extensively throughout North America and recorded with a wide range of artists. He is the keyboardist and sound designer for the American-Canadian progressive metal band JIA and was the founding pianist of the new music ensemble Pathos Trio, whose debut album was released on New Focus Recordings.

Alan’s interest in music technology led him to create Ethos Audio, a company dedicated to crafting expressive, highly detailed virtual instrument libraries. The company’s first release, Spectral Cello, is scheduled for launch in 2026 and will be fully compatible with Native Instruments’ Kontakt Player.

He has previously taught at West Virginia University, Montclair State University, and Stony Brook University, and serves as a mentor for the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music Mentorship Program. Alan earned his Ph.D. in Music Composition from Stony Brook University in 2021.