Kevin Sütterlin joins the faculty at University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music as associate professor of conducting, effective July 2026.

Sütterlin is an internationally sought-after conductor and pedagogue. He believes in the power of music. To him, music is the most effective tool to bring together people from all backgrounds. His life’s work is dedicated to building bridges and belonging, fostering dialogue, cultivating friendships and contributing towards a more open and peaceful world, one note at a time.

In addition to his appointment at Pacific, Sütterlin also serves as Distinguished Guest Professor at Ocean University of China. Furthermore, he is music director of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, one of Wisconsin’s finest professional orchestras, and winner of the American Prize. He is also music co-director of Sinfonietta Memphis and The Sinfonietta Academy for Historically Informed Performance Practice. He serves as principal guest conductor of the Qingdao Concert Hall Symphony in China and is a music director finalist for the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Sütterlin has served as conductor of Fargo-Moorhead Opera, where he most recently directed highly acclaimed productions of Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” and Humperdinck’s “Hänsel and Gretel,” 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 grew into one of the Midwest’s premier destinations for 21st-century orchestral training, receiving two Emmy® awards and winning the prestigious American Prize. 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. He commissions between three and six new works every year. 

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, University of Cape Town, University of Hawaii, Musikhochschule Luzern, University of Memphis, Purdue University, Virginia Tech and Alabama School of Fine Arts.

With a great love and passion for teaching, Sütterlin directs the orchestral and conducting programs at Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival. He was artistic director of the Northern Valley Youth Orchestras for the past ten years. 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. 

From 2011 until 2018, Sütterlin served on the board of directors of the Zurich Music Association Switzerland, re-designing training curricula for both amateur and professional musicians that fit the needs of the 21st century. He further serves on the board of the Miller Family Music Education Scholarship through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

Sütterlin received his doctorate and master’s degrees in orchestral conducting from The University of Memphis where he studied with Dr. Pu-Qi Jiang and Michael Stern, and a bachelor’s degree in conducting from the Hochschule Luzern—Musik, Switzerland. Furthermore, he has earned a certificate in Inclusive Teaching and Diversity Leadership. He 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.