Kuehn’s music has been described as having “sensuous phrases … producing an effect of high abstraction turning into decadence.”
- Paul Griffiths, The New York Times (May 15, 1998)

 

"The prize for sonic inventiveness went to Mikel Kuehn's Chiaroscuro, a work for cello and electroacoustics. Its interaction between performer and speakers and subtle sonic explorations of recorded and real cello sounds was both interesting and engaging."
- Michael Huebner, The Birmingham News (April 6, 2008) 

 

The music of American composer Mikel Kuehn has received awards and honorable recognition from ASCAP and BMI (student composer awards), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2000 and 2002 First Hearing Contests), Composers, Inc. (Lee Ettelson Award), the Copland House (Aaron Copland Award), Eastman (Hanson and McCurdy Prizes), the League of Composers/ISCM Composers' Competition (First Prize), the Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Contest, the Ohio Arts Council (Individual Excellence Award), and the Luigi Russolo Competition (Italy). Twice selected to represent the United States abroad (by ISCM and SEAMUS), in both the acoustic and electroacoustic mediums, Kuehn's works have been programmed on numerous concerts, conferences, and festivals internationally. His works have been commissioned by the Anubis Saxophone Quartet, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Ensemble 21, Flexible Music, the Hoff-Barthelson Music School, cellist Craig Hultgren, guitarist Dan Lippel, pianist Marilyn Nonken, saxophonists John Sampen and Jean -Michel Goury, Selmer Paris, and the Thelema Trio (Beligium). He has been a resident composer with organizations such as the Banff Centre (Canada), the Birmingham Art Music Alliance, the Copland House, and The MacDowell Colony. Kuehn is currently associate professor and coordinator of composition at Bowling Green State University, where he served as director of the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music and the Bowling Green New Music Festival from 2007-2010. He received degrees in composition from the Eastman School of Music (Ph.D., MA) and the University of North Texas (BM) and is author of the computer music application nGen. Kuehn's music is available on the ACA Digital, Centaur (CDCM series), Erol (France), ICMC (Ireland), MSR Classics, and New Focus (forthcoming) labels.