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Kurt Ellenberger began his career as a professional musician at the age of thirteen in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Windsor, a master’s Degree in Theory/Composition from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Doctorate in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin. He began composing as a teenager, and has continued composing throughout his life. His compositional output includes music for solo piano, voice and piano, orchestra, brass quintet, brass choir, mixed chamber ensembles, strings, and two concertos.

He is the author of a pedagogical text on jazz improvisation entitled: Materials and Concepts in Jazz Improvisation. It is currently being used at institutions in Canada and the United States. Dr. Ellenberger is also a multi-instrumentalist (trumpet and piano) and has performed extensively in a wide variety of musical settings in the contemporary classical and improvisatory genres, including performances with the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Kenny Wheeler, Billy Eckstine, and Della Resse. He has been leader of his own jazz trio for over 15 years which has been recorded by CBC radio, featuring Dr. Ellenberger as both performer and composer.

He is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) who recently recognized Dr. Ellenberger’s work as a composer by presenting him with a 1998 ASCAP Composition Award. He also heads his own publishing concern (Assayer Publishing) which actively promotes his compositions and pedagogical writings. In the area of music theory, he has a particular interest in the music of Johannes Brahms and Paul Hindemith (an article entitled: “Hin und Zurück: Hindemith Recycles in Ludus Tonalis” was published by The Alberta New Music & Arts Review); as a jazz pianist, he has studied (by building a larger personal library of unpublished manuscripts) the improvisations of Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, among others.

He has received many commissions, performed in Canada, Europe and the US. His critically acclaimed jazz CD, Songs from Far West, which also features works by Duke Ellington and Paul Hindemith, is distributed worldwide by the prestigious Challenge Records in The Netherlands.

Dr. Ellenberger currently heads Jazz Studies at the State University of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prior to obtaining this post he has taught at the University of Lethbridge and the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, where he met his wife, Rebecca, and accomplished pianist in her own right.

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