About
"The music (and music making) of composer/conductor Kyle Wernke exhibits the best of his generation - integrity, sophistication, imagination and infectious personalities. An independent soul, without jumping on bandwagons and -isms, Wernke communicates with striking originality, sincerity of emotion, rough energy and contagious enthusiasm."
- MICHAEL SCHELLE, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, BUTLER UNIVERSITY
Composer and conductor Kyle Wernke’s music is “imaginative and infectious” (Michael Schelle) and “exemplifies all that is right with quality new music” (Douglas Kenyans). His work explores dynamic, tonal, and textural extremes - often in rapid succession. Wernke’s music has been performed across the United States and around the world. His 2017 orchestral tour de force Burst was recorded by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra for Ablaze Records’ “Orchestral Masters Vol. 6.” Burst went on to be performed by the Tampa Bay Symphony and the Musique en Seine Orchestra in Paris, France. Burst also won the American Prize in Orchestral Composition in 2022.
His 2021 Pulitzer Prize nominated cantata, Da Vinci at the River, was commissioned by Missouri University of Science and Technology in honor of the university’s 150th Anniversary. Kyle was an Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Orchestras, and Composer-in-Residence at Missouri S&T from 2017-2024.
Wernke is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. At Lehigh he directs the Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra and teaches composition. He lives in Hellertown, PA with his wife, violist Lauren Perala; their dogs Luna and Buttercup; and their three cats, Pearl, Nubbins, and Sawadee.
Wernke’s music is published through the American Composers Alliance and Just a Theory Press.
“Maestro Wernke leads from the podium with a poise and a clarity that is uncommon for a conductor of his age. He motivates his musicians to personally invest in every rehearsal and performance and to play with passionate expression, championing stalwarts of the repertoire (Schumann’s Requiem) as well as interpreting modern works (such as my own)... Maestro Wernke is a rising star and should be given every chance to inspire the next generation of musicians.”