Kyle Motl is a bassist, composer, and improviser dedicated to the performance of creative music. His work explores aspects of chaos and complexity through involved rhythmic and spectral transformations while remaining grounded in an embodied approach to performance. Kyle regularly gives solo concerts which expand upon the vast timbral resources of the contrabass.
Kyle is active in a number of ensembles across the field of creative and improvised music, including Sibarg Ensemble (improvisation at the intersection of jazz and classical Persian music), Peter Kuhn Trio, Abbey Rader Trio and Quartet, Kyle Motl Trio, and Treesearch with Keir GoGwilt. His trio record with Kjell Nordeson and Tobin Chodos, Panjandrums, appeared on Best-of-2017 lists on the Free Jazz Blog and Perfect Sound Forever. He maintains regular duo projects with Keir GoGwilt, Drew Ceccato, TJ Borden, and Tommy Babin. Kyle has performed and recorded alongside artists including Anthony Davis, Kidd Jordan, Mary Halvorson, Roscoe Mitchell, and Wadada Leo Smith, among others.
Touring frequently, Kyle’s music has been performed at numerous venues, festivals, and conferences, including the International Society of Bassists Convention, the Darmstadt Fereinkurse, Bass2018 Lucca, the International Society for Improvised Music Conference, NUNC!3, Festival Internacional de Música Experimental, and the Subtropics biannual.
Active as an interpreter of contemporary music, Kyle has collaborated closely with emergent composers including Caroline Louise Miller, Celeste Oram, Asher Tobin Chodos, Hunjoo Jung, and Anqi Liu.
Kyle holds a BM from Florida Atlantic University and an MM from Florida International University. He holds a DMA from UC San Diego, where he studied bass with Mark Dresser and composition with Anthony Davis.