About Kevin A. Zoernig

Building on a childhood of intensive musical training, Kevin received a B.A. in music (Honors,PhiBeta Kappa) from Grinnell College, where he taught piano as a concurrent student/faculty member and generated a serious of original music performances (including music commissioned for theatre and dance events),graduating in 1980. From Grinnell he went on to the Black Music Division at Bennington College (1980-82). While his work there did not correspond to a degree program available at the time, he was privileged to pursue advanced studies in performance and composition with such notables as Bill Dixon, Milford Graves, Vivian Fine, and Jeff Levine. He also led a national tour of his original music trio under the auspices of the Black Music Division.

By 1984 he had won Contemporary Keyboard magazine’s Bill Evans Jazz Piano Scholarship, applying the funds toward private studies in Boston with theory titan George Russell. During the 80’s he also performed with luminaries such as Pharaoh Sanders, Nat Adderley, James Newton,Carlos Santana and Canadian songwriter Ferron. His Future Song Ensemble performed several times in New York City. By l987 he had established the Santa Fe School of Contemporary Music and from 1988 – ’92 he designed and implemented the Contemporary Music Program at the College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design) This pioneering program thrives to this day and has spawned many young talents active throughout the U.S. – some of whom have achieved international status in composition and performance.

Continuing at the helm of the CMP through 1997 Kevin also pursued a series of independent projects including performances with Bob Moses, Dave Friesen, Robert Mirabal, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Peter Gordon, and many others. Two original albums (Double Echo – solo piano – and Number 23 – trios and duets) were released during this period. In 1994 and 1995 he joined the faculty of the Bennington College summer program.

Since 1998 Kevin has made several trips to Europe, performing in Bonn and Berlin with Peter Gordon and Lawrence Wiener’s opera “The Society Architect..” and throughout Holland and Belgium on three tours with songwriter Boris McCutcheon whose albums co-produced by Kevin Zoernig have repeatedly topped the Euro Americana charts. He has also performed throughout Canada and the US.

With a growing focus on studio work since the turn of the century Kevin has contributed keyboard parts to and/or produced dozens of albums at various Santa Fe studios. Outstanding among these were Walela (w/ Rita Coolidge) and Sacred Ground (various artists). The latter won a Grammy in 2006. Many of these projects have garnered New Mexico Music Awards, including 20 nominations and 7 awards in 2016 alone and similar recognitions in 2017 and 2018.

In 2001 Kevin Zoernig was selected to implement the Music Improvisation curriculum at the United World College – USA. This consists of ensemble work and private lessons and has helped to bring this campus to prominence for music among the 14 worldwide locations. Guests artists interacting with UWC – USA Music Improvisation students have included composers Phillip Glass and Marcus Stockhausen (son of Karlheinz).

Since 2009 Kevin has also joined the faculty of New Mexico Highlands University, teaching traditional theory,aural skills, and keyboard as well as improvisation, songwriting, and co – directing the jazz band.

In 2012 he released Riding in the Dark, a critically acclaimed album of original songs. Out of the Woods, new album of original solo piano music recorded at NMHU’s Ilfeld Auditorium, was released in 2016. that same summer he was commissioned to create original music which is now part of the soundscape at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. Kevin performs in an episode of Longmire – Season 4 Episode 1. During the spring of 2019 he was Artist in Residence at Grinnell College as music director for a production of Shakespeare’s 12th Night and performed a duet concert with former Nina Simone music director Al Shackman at the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona. Several new releases are in the works via a website under construction.

Zoernig, also staff piano tuner at NMHU and UWC, is additionally an expert Mercedes Benz mechanic and lives with his large family in Las Vegas, New Mexico. He performs regularly with Boris and the Salt Licks, Detroit Lightning, Drastic Andrew, the Smooth Riders, the Busy McCarroll band, and Los Tropicales.