By James Brown
As a young child living in Denton, TX in the mid-1970s, Mikel Kuehn ’93E (MA), ’95E (PhD) made a habit of perching between his tuba-playing father David ’78E (DMA), and his bass-playing mother, Susan, also a singer, during their orchestra rehearsals, immersing himself in a swirl of sound. “The conductor probably wondered, ‘Why is there a kid sitting back there?’” Kuehn recalls with a laugh.
It was in Kuehn’s formative years that his curiosity became a craft: he began classical piano studies at age 5, and later studied jazz vibraphone with Michael Carney ’78E (MM) and piano with Rule Beasley. By the early 1980s, his family moved from Texas to Los Angeles where he studied percussion and was timpanist in the California All-State Orchestra. As a jazz vibraphone player, Kuehn found himself transfixed by the jazz scene where he saw live performances by icons like Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Clare Fischer, Freddie Hubbard, and Bobby Hutcherson. “When I was in high school, my friend John Beasley, composer/arranger/keyboardist, then a young performer in the scene, sneaked me into clubs,” he remembers. “I observed everything and met the players. That left a huge impression.”
An undergraduate jazz major at the University of North Texas, Kuehn quickly changed his focus to composition and by 1989 he began graduate studies at Eastman. Three pivotal experiences reshaped his outlook: studying with Professor Emeritus Robert Morris ’65E, working in the computer music studios with Professor Allan Schindler, and using computer programming as a creative tool. “It might sound odd,” he says, “but programming became another instrument, like a keyboard, for generating new sounds and musical structures. At that time, we had an unusual year-long course in computer programming taught by theory professor Alec Brinkman ’66E, ’70E (MA), ’78E (PhD) which gave me very useful compositional tools.”
Kuehn’s early influences and experiences helped shape his music and compositions, an interplay of tradition and invention. He draws inspiration from forward-thinking artists like Bartók, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Klee, Picasso, and Pollock, who all pushed against their era’s norms while demanding meticulous craftsmanship. “I’m drawn to sonic details, tiny differences between similar sounds that create sonic depth,” he explains. “In life, many things are similar, yet never exactly the same. The possibility of discovery keeps me going artistically.” Over the years, Kuehn has gained international acclaim as a composer of both acoustic and electroacoustic music. He was Professor of Creative Arts Excellence at Bowling Green State University (OH) for 25 years, director of the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music and the Bowling Green New Music Festival.
Today, Kuehn is professor of Composition at Eastman and director of EMuSE (the Electroacoustic Music Studios @ Eastman), merging traditional composition with cutting-edge technology while passing on his passion for sonic detail to the next generation. Under his leadership, EMuSE is in the process of updating its studios, building a new immersive audio room with 24 speakers in a dome arrangement—nearly doubling the previous space. “Rochester is a town of creators and artists. The people here enjoy its exceptional food and art scene and alternative activities in general, so these concerts fit right in,” he says, describing EMuSE events that often include live electronics and video.
His new role is a homecoming of sorts, as Rochester, and Eastman, were a formative part of Kuehn’s early childhood. Kuehn’s father completed his DMA residency year in 1969-70 at Eastman, introducing him to many of his first memories: his sister Barbara being born at the hospital downtown, an old phone in his family home from the recently renovated Eastman Theatre, and his first interaction with snow. Kuehn recalls his mother, who recently passed away, supported their family by teaching music at Rochester PS 39 school. “We would drop my dad off each day, then pick him up at the Swan Street entrance (at that time the lower bridge hadn’t been installed yet!)” Upon his return to Rochester in Fall ’89 as a graduate composition student, he first met his wife, soprano Deborah Norin Kuehn ’91E (MM), ’95E (DMA) in front of Eastman Theatre before an RPO concert.
His love, and imprint on Rochester, continues on February 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall. Kuehn’s music will be presented on a Faculty Artist Series concert. The program, referred to by Kuehn as a “smorgasbord,” will include works for strings, winds, and a piece for 12 saxophones with electronics, performed by The Eastman Saxophone Project, led by Professor Chien-Kwan Lin ’07E (DMA). The concert will also feature guest artists; NYU piano chair and Eastman alumna Marilyn Nonken ’92E, and guitarist Daniel Lippel, along with Eastman faculty YooJin Jang (violin), Masumi Per Rostad (viola) and student performers. “Whether it’s two flutes, a duo for violin and viola, or a single performer shadowed by computer-processed sounds, each piece explores duality and reflection,” Kuehn shares. “You end up with a ‘resonant shadow’ or a second self that complements—and sometimes challenges—the live performer.”
Kuehn’s work as head of EMuSE will be the focus on March 6, when leading German electroacoustic composer Ludger Brümmer, former director of the Hertz Lab of ZKM Karlsruhe, comes to Hatch Recital Hall to join the program. Known for using fractal Markov chains, cellular automata, and artificial intelligence, Brümmer bridges the gap between technical innovation and artistic expression. Kuehn calls him “one of the most important figures in the field of electroacoustic music.”
Rounding out EMuSE’s season is a residency and performance with composer Andrew Lewis on April 14, visiting from North Wales, UK. Renowned for his electroacoustic and spatial sound compositions, Lewis explores the intersection of natural and synthetic sounds while focusing on spatial acoustics and aural perception. For Lewis’ performance, players in the Eastman Brass Guild will be positioned around Hatch Recital Hall, interspersed with loudspeakers. “In our EMuSE concerts the sound emanates from all around the hall and makes one feel like it is possible to reach up and grab the sound,” Kuehn says, describing the sensation of being “enveloped” as musical lines weave overhead. He believes this setup blurs the line between performer and observer, letting the audience inhabit the music’s tapestry rather than merely watch from a distance.
From those formative rehearsals in Rochester to his return decades later, Kuehn’s evolution expands musical frontiers while respecting craft at every turn. “This spring lineup truly feels like a showcase of the work I’m doing now, while also honoring my journey—it is incredibly fulfilling to reach that ‘full-circle’ moment in my career.”
Faculty Artist Series: Mikel Kuehn, composition
Featuring the Eastman Saxophone Project
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
EMuSE
Featuring Ludger Brümmer, guest electroacoustic composer
Thursday, March 6, 2025
7:30 p.m. | Hatch Recital Hall
EMuSE
Featuring Andrew Lewis, guest composer
Monday, April 14, 2025
7:30 p.m. | Hatch Recital Hall