Bernie Kuehn

Founding director Bernd Kuehn immigrated to Portland, Oregon with his parents from Augsburg, Germany in 1957, when he was 9 years old. Attending Portland public schools, Bernie was active in music through singing and playing violin in orchestra. His conducting career started at Wilson High School, where he was asked to student conduct his school's orchestra. He then spent a summer touring with the Continental Singers, during which he conducted the group for two tours. Bernie's studies culminated at Pacific Lutheran University, where he earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees (with a four-year separation for the Navy) in choral conducting under Maurice Skones. Bernie then moved to Washington County with his wife Karen, where his teaching career began in 1975 at Gaston and Hillsboro High Schools, and led him to Century High School when it opened in 1997. 

During his teaching career, upon seeing a growing number of people in Washington County with choral backgrounds, Bernie saw a need to start a family-feel, auditioned community choir for singing and performing significant choral works. This dream was realized with the founding of the Washington County Chorale (now Oregon Chorale) in 1985. Bernie served as Artistic Director for 30 years, retiring in 2015. Under his directorship, the Chorale traveled extensively throughout Europe, produced recordings, and developed a focus on inspiring young singers, creating a high school internship program that is still active today. In partnership with the Hillsboro Community Foundation, the Oregon Chorale has since established an endowed scholarship program in Bernie's name for incoming college students pursuing a career in music.