Kenji Bunch is one of America’s most engaging, influential, and prolific composers.
Through an expansive blend of classical and vernacular styles, Bunch makes music that the Washington Post called “clearly modern but deeply respectful of tradition and instantly enjoyable.”
Cited by Alex Ross in his seminal book The Rest Is Noise, Bunch’s wit, lyricism, unpredictability, and exquisite craftsmanship have earned acclaim from audiences, performers, and critics alike. His interests in history, social justice, and cross-cultural connections mirror the diversity of global influence on American culture.
His music has been performed on six continents and by over sixty American orchestras and has been recorded numerous times. Recent commissions include premieres from the Seattle Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the Lark Quartet, the Britt Festival, Music From Angel Fire, Chamber Music Northwest, the Eugene Ballet, and the Grant Park Music Festival.
Also an outstanding violist, Bunch was the first student ever to receive dual Master of Music degrees in viola and composition from The Juilliard School and was a founding member of the highly acclaimed ensembles Flux Quartet and Ne(x)tworks. Bunch currently serves as Artistic Director of Fear No Music, and teaches viola, composition, and music theory at Portland State University, Reed College, and for the Portland Youth Philharmonic.