Described as “energetic, exciting, and rhythmically dynamic”, Kenneth Froelich’s music confronts the contradictions and struggles of the modern world. Froelich draws frequently for inspiration on his own life experience, whether reminiscing about a childhood playing video games in 1980s San Diego or exploring the joys and fears of fatherhood. From the relationship between man and technology to issues of mental health, his music examines issues we all encounter in our daily lives.

Kenneth Froelich and his wife, clarinetist Jennifer Ostwalt, are raising their daughter, Katerina, in Fresno, California, under the watchful eye of Albina, a cat who lives with them. The three humans are black belts in Tae Kwon Do and enjoy playing board games, rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and pretending the Padres won’t blow a solid lead in the eighth inning. Kenneth is Professor of Music Composition at California State University, Fresno.

Froelich’s music has been performed in over a dozen nations, including the United States, Canada, China, and throughout Europe and South America. In 2014, his Symphony No. 1: Dream Dialogs was recorded by the Brno Philharmonic and released on Ablaze Records’ Orchestral Masters, Vol. 2. He has been featured in performances by CMASH, the California EAR Unit, the Indianapolis Symphonic Orchestra, Conundrum, Heretic Opera, and the Orpheus Ensemble of Fresno. Froelich has been honored with awards from ASCAP, the National Association of Composers/USA, Meet the Composer, the Percussive Arts Society, the American Composers Forum, and the Society of Composers Inc.

Kenneth Froelich has previously taught at Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival (Sewanee, Tennessee). He received Doctorate and Masters degrees from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music summa cum laude from the University of Southern California.

Honors and Awards

Judges Citation, “Sonata of the Year”, 2017 American Prize in Music Composition, chamber division, for Sonata for Clarinet and Piano

Finalist, 2017 American Prize in Music Composition, orchestra division, for Through Cloudy and Cracked Lenses

2015 Fresno State Provost's Award Winner in the area of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Accomplishment

Semi-Finalist, 2014 American Prize in Music Composition, orchestra division for Symphony No. 1: Dream Dialogs

Symphony No. 1: Dream Dialogs selected for recording on Ablaze Records’ 2014 album Orchestral Masters Vol. 2

Composer-in-Residence at Cornell University, Oct. 12-17, 2010

Composer-in-Remote-Residence with Heretic Opera, Aug. 2009 - Aug. 2011

Participant in the inaugural Music Alive: New Partnerships program, sponsored by Meet the Composer and the League of American Orchestras, 2008

First prize, 2007 Percussive Arts Society Composers Competition (ensemble category) for Accidental Migration

2007 California Association of Professional Music Teachers Commissioned Composer

Certificate of Achievement, New York Youth Symphony “First Music 23” for Pulse Mutations, 2006

Participant, Underwood New Music Readings with the American Composers Orchestra for Pulse Mutations in New York, 2005

Morton Gould/ASCAP Young Composer Award for Serendipitous Inventions, 2004 

First prize, 25th Anniversary NACUSA Young Composers Competition for Blue Fire, 2003

Residency with the California E.A.R. Unit at Arcosanti in Mayer, Arizona, 2003

First prize, Indiana IDEAS Festival, Best Digital Music category for Scrap Metal, 2002 

Honorable Mention, Morton Gould/ASCAP Young Composer Award for Age of Irony, 2002 

Indiana University Dean’s Prize for Dance of the Green Bird, 2001

First place, Region 5 East, SCI/ASCAP Composition Commission Awards for Electric Sheep, 2001

Winner, Marilyn K. Glick Young Composers Showcase (Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra) for Electric Sheep, 1999