Kyle Werner is a composer with a distinctive musical language – drawing on a wide variety of influences including impressionism, minimalism, medieval and renaissance music, visual art, and natural landscapes.  His interest in showcasing performers’ expressive capabilities has lead to performances of his music by world-class musicians such as the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Windscape, and pianist Lisa Kaplan (eighth blackbird).  Mr. Werner’s works have been performed throughout the U.S., and in France and Switzerland, at venues including the University of Michigan, Yamaha Piano Salon (NYC), Manhattan School of Music, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), University of Iowa, Palais de Fontainebleau, and Hindemith Music Centre. 

As the winner of the Windscape Composer Competition, Mr. Werner was asked to compose a new work for wind quintet, which Windscape premiered at the Manhattan School of Music.  He was composer-in-residence with the CCM Chamber Players, who premiered his work Blueprints for thirteen instruments.  Blueprints was also the winner of the Chicago Chamber Musicians Young Composer Competition, and was performed in Chicago at Gottlieb Hall.  This work was also performed by the University of Michigan Symphony Band Chamber Winds at the Midwest Composers’ Symposium.  Mr. Werner conducted the premiere of his chamber orchestra piece Morning on Lake Huron at CCM.  Three Sketches for Wind Quintet was premiered at CCM, and featured at the Music07 Festival in Cincinnati and the Midwest Composers’ Symposium at University of Iowa. 

While attending the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France, Mr. Werner composed Forest Echoes for violin and piano, which was premiered by students of the Juilliard School at the Palais de Fontainebleau.  The work was also featured at the Yamaha Piano Salon in New York City and the Midwest Composers’ Symposium at University of Michigan.  River of Life was commissioned and premiered by the Livingston Symphony Orchestra, who reprised the work twice later in the season.  Mr. Werner conducted the premiere of his Concerto for Flute and Strings at CCM with flutist Pethrus Gärdborn on a concert that also featured Morning on Lake Huron and Blueprints.  Panorama, written for the Music09 Festival in Blonay, Switzerland, was premiered at the Hindemith Music Centre by pianist Lisa Kaplan and participants of the festival.  In addition to his work as a composer, Mr. Werner has written articles for the Cincinnati Enquirer, MusicX festival, Fontainebleau Newsletter, and Manhattan School of Music.

Mr. Werner is a Master of Music candidate in composition at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Susan Botti.  He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Joel Hoffman and Michael Fiday.  He has taken masterclasses with John Adams, Chen Yi, Zygmunt Krauze, Martin Ellerby, Richard Toensing, Carol Barnett, and eighth blackbird.