Photo by Kurt Tokita
Bio
Paul Kikuchi (he/him) heard Ella Fitzgerald in concert from the womb and was born the next day. He shares a birthday with Prince. Paul’s music is wide ranging - from drone/ambient soundscapes to compositions for traditional Japanese instruments. His interests in community, identity, and activism inform his creative process. His work has been supported by the National Endowment of the Arts, Chamber Music America, and New Music USA, among others.
Paul is tenured music faculty at South Seattle College. As an educator he is committed to the decolonization of music curricula and the cultivation of life-long connections to music. He lives in Seattle.
Photo by Allen Glass
“Picture Miles Davis floating somewhere out past the rings of Saturn.
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“A Morricone showdown in a John Cage rock garden.”
“His music is somewhere between natural and deliberate, between wind chimes and the strict order of a composition...
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Selected Awards and Residencies
2023
Individual Artist Project Recipient • 4Culture
2022
City Artist Grant • Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle
Artist Support Grant • Jack Straw Foundation
2018
smART Ventures Grant • Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle
2017
Individual Artist Project Recipient • 4Culture
2015
Gerald Oshita Memorial Fellow and residency recipient • Djerassi Resident Artist Program
Historic Sites Specific • 4Culture, Seattle, WA (Songs of Nihonmachi)
2014
City Artist Grant • Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle (Bat of No Bird Island)
Creative Artist Fellowship • Japan - U.S. Friendship Commission, NEA (Bat of No Bird Island)
2013
Artist in Residence • Grand Canyon National Park
Art Projects Award • 4Culture (Autonomic Series)
Artist Support Grant • Jack Straw Foundation (Bat of No Bird Island)
2012
City Artist Grant • Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle (Bat of No Bird Island)
New Jazz Works Award • Chamber Music America (Bat of No Bird Island)
2011
Artist in Residence • Union Station, Seattle, WA
Metlife Creative Connections Award • New Music USA
GAP Artist Support Grant • Washington Artist Trust
Excellence in Arts Education Award • West Sound Academy
2010
City Artist Grant • Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle (Site-specific works)
Individual Artist Project Recipient • 4Culture (Site-Specific works)
2009
Fellowship Recipient • Washington Artist Trust
Composition Residency Recipient • Montalvo Arts Center
2008
GAP Artist Support Grant • Washington Artist Trust
French American Jazz Exchange Grant • Chamber Music America
Artist Support Grant • Jack Straw Foundation
Articles and Interviews
