Kenneth Kirschner

Kenneth Kirschner is a composer of experimental music, working at the intersection of avant-garde classical composition and contemporary electronic music. His work is characterized by a close integration of acoustic and electronic sound sources; a strong focus on harmony, pattern, and long-form development; and experimentation with techniques such as chance procedures, indeterminacy, and microtonality within a digital context.
An advocate of open source music, Kirschner releases all of his work freely online through his website, kennethkirschner.com, which represents a complete archive of all his published music from the 1980s to present; his work has also been released by record labels such as Sub Rosa, 12k, Greyfade, Line, Leerraum, and Room40, among others. He performs internationally, and has created sound art and multimedia installations for a variety of gallery, museum, and public art contexts. Kirschner’s recent projects have included “From the Machine”, an ongoing series on the Greyfade label exploring algorithmic approaches to the composition of acoustic chamber music; “Variant”, a series of interactive audiovisual apps and installations created in collaboration with visualist Joshue Ott; and “Imperfect Forms: The Music of Kenneth Kirschner”, a multimedia retrospective consisting of essays, interviews, and artistic contributions from over two dozen journalists, musicians, and visual artists from around the world. Kirschner was a 2015 artist in residence at Eyebeam, a 2016 artist in residence in Times Square, and a 2019 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in Music/Sound. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA.