Kevin Poelking (POLE-king)

(b. 1988, Downers Grove, IL)

 

Kevin Poelking is an international award-winning contemporary composer whose music is known for its careful craft, emotional honesty, and practical understanding of how musicians actually rehearse and perform. His work spans wind ensemble, orchestra, string orchestra, chamber winds, and solo repertoire, with a particular emphasis on writing music that serves musicians, conductors, and audiences equally.

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After beginning his career as an educator, performer, and conductor, Poelking transitioned to full-time composition. Initially self-taught he later studied with Dr. James M. David and Dr. Carter Pann. His background in the rehearsal room continues to shape his compositional voice: direct, communicative, and deeply aware of ensemble realities.

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Poelking’s music has received national and international recognition, including top prizes from The American Prize, WASBE, the Dallas Winds Fanfare Competition, and the Minot Symphony Orchestra Young Composer’s Competition. His works for band, orchestra, and chamber ensembles have been performed at major conferences and festivals worldwide, and his solo and chamber music has been recognized multiple times by the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music.

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Recent highlights include orchestral recordings with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, performances by professional and academic ensembles across the United States and abroad, and the large-scale wind ensemble work Sounds, Voices, and Dreams, from Ukraine, which premiered in Kyiv with the National Academic Symphonic Band of Ukraine. Created through close collaboration with Ukrainian musicians and artists, the project donated the majority of its proceeds directly to the ensemble and to Razom for Ukraine.

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Central to Poelking’s work is Music4More, an ongoing initiative that connects new music with social impact, education, and access. Through this platform, his projects frequently incorporate community partnerships, fundraising components, and discounted access for underfunded programs and full-time music students.

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In addition to composing, Poelking is an active conductor and collaborator. He has conducted ensembles including The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” and previously served on the music faculty at Colorado State University, where he taught conducting, theory, and directed the concert band. He now works full-time as a composer, regularly collaborating with ensembles, musicians, and organizations worldwide.

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Poelking lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife Caitlin and their dog Koopa.