Coming from a musical family, percussionist ETHAN COWBURN (b. 2000, Liverpool, NY) has harbored a passion for music for as long as he can remember. Diagnosed with severe hearing loss at age seven, his audiologist recommended percussion as a substitute for other wind instruments. Falling in love with drumming at the age of eight, his passionate commitment to contemporary music blossomed at Ithaca College under the tutelage of Gordon Stout, Conrad Alexander and Dr. Mike Truesdell. Dr. Truesdell in particular instilled in Cowburn a mission-driven sense of advocacy for under-represented composers, a vision that underscored his 2021 junior recital featuring music exclusively by living black composers. Now an advocate for people with hearing loss, Cowburn continues to seek proper accommodations for all those with disabilities at a collegiate level, as he confronts ableism within his own life.

Recent featured solo performances include appearances on the 10th Anniversary NIU New Music Festival (Alexis Lamb’s “Post-Lightened”) and an NIU Percussion program honoring the musical legacy of percussionist and composer Christopher Deane on which he performed Deane’s “Mourning Dove Sonnet.” Cowburn has also been invited to co-direct the 11th annual NIU New Music Festival in the Fall of 2023.