Kevin Sütterlin
Music Director Candidate

Sütterlin is Director of Orchestras and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music, as well as Distinguished Guest Professor at Ocean University of China, and a regular guest professor at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is Music Director of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and winner of the American Prize in the Professional Orchestra division in 2023. Together with his best friend, Mathias Elmer, he is Music Co-Director of Sinfonietta Memphis, an ensemble that provides free concerts and educational experiences for the Greater Memphis communities. The only orchestra in the U.S. with a co-directorship model, Sinfonietta Memphis’s conductors Elmer and Sütterlin proudly represent the orchestra’s credo: friendship through music. They also co-direct The Sinfonietta Academy for Historically Informed Performance Practice, which has recently been recognized as one of the country’s leading period performance practice institutes. Since 2019, Sütterlin has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Qingdao Concert Hall Symphony in China, where he just returned from a highly praised series of concerts. Sütterlin has served as Principal Conductor of Fargo-Moorhead Opera, where he most recently directed productions of Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel to great acclaim, and regularly conducts their opera gala. Prior to his appointment at Pacific, Sütterlin was Director of Orchestral Activities and Opera at Concordia College. Under his leadership, the program at Concordia grew into one of the Midwest’s premier destinations for 21st century orchestral training, receiving two EMMY awards and winning the prestigious American Prize.

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Considering himself a “citizen of the world,” Sütterlin has been building musical bridges across four different continents and has led his ensembles on many successful national and international tours. He has performed and taught across the globe, including Austria, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. He has taught at Shanghai Conservatory, Sichuan Conservatory, Ocean University of China, University of Cape Town, University of Hawaii, Musikhochschule Luzern, University of Memphis, Purdue University, and Virginia Tech University.

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With a great love and passion for teaching, Sütterlin holds The Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Endowed Orchestra Chair of the Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival, directing the organization’s orchestral and conducting programs. As one of the country’s leading conducting pedagogues, he is praised for his keen analytical eye and deep understanding of conducting technique and physique, paired with a kind and caring approach that has empowered over 150 conductors and conducting students across the globe. He is a much sought-after clinician for regional, state-wide, national, and international music festivals and workshops.

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Championing the music of living as well as historically under-represented composers, Sütterlin commits to broad and diverse programming on every single concert with all of his ensembles. Using his own funds, Sütterlin commissions between three to six new works every single year. He has commissioned and recorded pieces of numerous living composers, including Stella Sung, Shuying Li, Ben Krause, Theresa Martin, Christopher Ducasse, Evan Williams, Brianna Ware, René Clausen, Mark Buller, Adam Hochstatter, Dan Perttu, and Russ Peterson, among others. He is one of the world’s leading scholars of the music of late American composer Dominick Argento, sharing a close friendship with Argento until his death in 2019. Sütterlin’s recording collaborations include numerous CD and DVD productions. From 2011 until 2018, he served on the board of directors of the Zurich Music Association Switzerland, re-designing training curricula for both amateur as well as professional musicians that fit the needs of the 21st century. Sütterlin further serves on the board of the Miller Family Music Education Scholarship through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

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Sütterlin received his doctorate and master’s degrees in orchestral conducting from The University of Memphis, where he studied with Mahler expert Dr. Pu-Qi Jiang and Michael Stern, and a bachelor’s degree in conducting from the Hochschule Luzern—Musik, Switzerland, where he studied with Christoph Rehli and Baroque scholar Franz Schaffner. Furthermore, he has earned a certificate in Inclusive Teaching and Diversity Leadership. Sütterlin is an awardee of the Hirschmann Foundation Prize of Switzerland, the Hendrickson Fine Arts Grant, the University of Memphis International Research scholarship, and the University of Memphis Creative Achievement Award.

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What’s your proudest accomplishment?

Truly living my dream—how many people can actually say that? As a kid, I dreamt of conducting orchestra and opera. Now at 37, I’ve conducted a ton of repertoire, including Mahler’s Second Symphony (twice already!). I also get to teach and hope to give my students the belief and courage to pursue their biggest dreams.

 

What makes you laugh the most?

You’ll hear me laughing the loudest with my close friends, or rewatching Scrubs or The Office.

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What would you sing at karaoke night?

Elton John’s Your Song. I first sang it at karaoke on a family vacation in the South of France as a shy teenager. My dad claims I got more applause than he did—I’m not sure that’s true! :-) It’s been my go-to ever since.

 

What’s your favorite movie?

I rarely watch movies, but two I truly love are The Holiday and Once Upon a Time in America.

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If you could spend a day anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I honestly want to go EVERYWHERE! I’m especially fascinated by isolated places and communities few outsiders experience firsthand. I’d love to visit Antarctica someday. For me, the best part of traveling is meeting people, hearing their stories, and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

 

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

I have a short but extremely vivid memory of my grandfather playing with me with a little stuffed animal monkey. He passed away when I was only about two, so as I’ve gotten older, that memory has become incredibly meaningful to me.

 

What’s one thing people are surprised to learn about you?

That I’m a total introvert! People don’t realize that being introverted can work really well for a conductor—probably 90% of my job is spent alone at a desk studying scores or researching.

 

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Very, VERY spicy Sichuan Chinese food—especially hot pot or mapo tofu! Chinese cuisine in general is my favorite!

 

If you weren’t a conductor, what career would you have pursued?

I love to travel and once considered cultural studies. But after moving across our beautiful and vast country, I’ve often thought, “I love driving—I should become a truck driver!” :-)

 

What book are you currently reading (or have read recently that you loved)? 

I’m ashamed to admit I don’t really read books outside of score study and research. I’m a sucker for historically informed performance practice and genuinely enjoy reading old primary sources and music textbooks. Nerdy, I know!

 

What piece of music never fails to move you?

Billy Joel’s Lullabye and the Andante moderato from Mahler’s Symphony No. 6—some of the most beautiful and deeply moving music to me.

 

If it was your final moment on Earth and you had to pick one song to listen to, what would it be?

Take Me Home, Country Roads. My dad and I used to sing it together often, and I’d want something that immediately brings me back to someone I love and the memories we share.

 

Coffee or tea?

Love both! But if I HAVE to pick, coffee!

 

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl 10000%!

 

Beach or mountains?

Beach!

 

Dogs or cats?

Both! I grew up with dogs but have been converted into a cat person. We have two cats at home—Bonnie and Toby.

 

Sweet or savory?

Why pick!

 

Favorite season?

Summer and the Holiday Season! After living in Fargo, North Dakota, for ten years, I just can’t say winter. -45°F is no joke!

 

Window or aisle seat?

Window! I’m fascinated by aircraft, but still occasionally a little nervous flying. 

Looking out the window always helps when things get turbulent.

 

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset—the sunrise makes it hard to go to sleep! Night owl 10000%! :-D

 

Favorite holiday?

Christmas!

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

My late professor and mentor, Dr. Pu-Qi Jiang, encouraged me to “take the scenic route.” Life isn’t only about reaching the destination—it’s about what you experience, who you walk with, and whether you keep your eyes, ears, and heart open along the way.