Kevin Terrell Madison
Artistic PracticeTrained as a classical pianist, Kevin first gained recognition as the first-prize winner of the Brevard Solo Piano and Concerto competitions, leading to a performance of Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and multiple features on WQXR. After specializing in post-1950 repertoire at the Boston Conservatory, he earned his D.M.A. in Performance-Composition from CalArts, where he began subverting his classical technique through the rhythms of free playing and contemporary music technology.
His work has been commissioned and presented globally at venues and festivals including:
Museums: Seoul Museum of Art, Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius), Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Stages: REDCAT (LA), Bang on a Can, The Next Festival (NYC), Le Poisson Rouge.
International Festivals: Hamraborg (Iceland), re:publica (Hamburg), Lunga (Iceland), and Fotogenia (Mexico).
In the realm of electronic production, Kevin treats the airwaves as a space for ethnomusicological inquiry. His releases (notably on Delusional Records alongside Ariel Zetina) and his broadcasts on dublab and KCHUNG explore the contemporary club remix as a form of social research and cultural resistance.
Research & Pedagogy
As an educator, Kevin views the classroom as a primary site for reclaiming cognitive agency. Currently serving as the Education Coordinator at the Strother School of Radical Attention, his research investigates how the critical listening methodologies inherent in music pedagogy can serve as practical tools for students to navigate an age of constant digital distraction.
Kevin has taught extensively at CalArts and the Kaufman Music Center, developing original curricula such as Disco: Emancipatory Dancefloors and The Semiotics of Queerness in Music. He has been invited to present his work and guest lecture at:
Harvard University
The University of Chicago
Montclair State University
Mission & Advocacy
As a mixed-race black and white gay man and a first-generation college student, Kevin is deeply committed to inclusive excellence and the demystification of complex musical and theoretical concepts for alternative spaces, within and without academia. Whether mentoring students through the modern job market or navigating the ontology of the classroom, he strives to create rigorous, supportive environments that acknowledge the cultural realities of the modern world.