[7] Hearne has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, A Far Cry, pianist Timo Andres, singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane and other musicians.
[13] Hearne is the recipient of the 2009 Gaudeamus Prize in Music Composition,[14] and the 2014 New Voices Residency from publisher Boosey and Hawkes and the San Francisco Symphony.
[18] The New York Times has noted Hearne for his “topical, politically sharp-edged works,” [15] and has called his compositional style “nuanced, elliptical and elusive.” [19] Oratorio Large Ensemble Solo Music
He played the role of Justin Timberlake in Jacob Cooper's opera Timberbrit,[20] and performed at the Ecstatic Music Festival as part of Timo Andres’s Work Songs.
"[10] He is known for his extreme range and for mixing vocal techniques from different styles, including abrupt register changes, rapid speaking, screaming, rapping, falsetto and crooning.