Young Concert Artists,
Inc.
250 West 57 Street
New York, NY 10019
KENJI BUNCH
Composer-in-Residence
KENJI
BUNCH was chosen as Young Concert Artists' Composer-in-Residence by a panel of
distinguished YCA alumni in 1998. During his tenure, Mr. Bunch will write two works for
members of the Young Concert Artists roster. His first commission will be for violist
Naoko Shimizu, who will premiere the work on her debut recitals in the Young Concert
Artists Series at the 92nd Street Y in New York and at the Kennedy Center in Washington,
DC.
Mr. Bunch has received commissions from the English Chamber Orchestra, the St. Luke's
Chamber Ensemble, the Ahn Trio, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, the Zoom!
Festival of New Music, Collegium Novum-Zurich, the New Juilliard Ensemble, percussionist
Daniel Druckman, and the Omaha Symphony. His works have been performed at venues including
London's Barbican Hall, Tel Aviv's Rubin Academy, and New York's Alice Tully Hall, Merkin
Concert Hall, and Museum of Modern Art.
During the 1998-99 season, the composer's works will be premiered in New York by the
St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, the Ahn Trio, the New York Woodwind Soloists and at the
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. In addition to these performances, Fear No Music
will premiere one of Mr. Bunch's works in his native Portland, Oregon, and a CD of his
Fantasy for violin and orchestra, performed by the English Chamber Orchestra and violinist
Ittai Shapira, will be released this fall.
Also a violist, Mr. Bunch has performed with Continuum, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
and as principal violist with the Philharmonia Virtuosi. Dedicated to crossing musical
boundaries, he has performed with the rock group The Who, jazz legend Ornette Coleman, and
pop vocalist Bobby McFerrin.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Kenji Bunch studied at The Juilliard School. In 1995, he
received his Bachelor's Degree in viola, and in 1997 he was awarded his Master's Degree in
composition and viola, studying with Robert Beaser, and the William Schuman Prize for
Outstanding Leadership in Music.
