06/11/2025
Professor Kevin Wayne Bumpers stands as a powerful force in American music—a concert pianist, educator, and composer whose career has uplifted both classical and gospel traditions. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Bumpers is the first African American to earn degrees in piano performance from the University of South Alabama and Florida State University, with further studies at the University of Miami. His early promise was undeniable—at just 18, he debuted with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra performing Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F under the baton of Barry Douglas.
Bumpers has claimed top honors in national piano competitions and dedicated his life to nurturing talent. Since 1991, he has served as Full Professor and head of the keyboard area at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus, earning the Robert H. McCabe Endowed Teaching Chair. He also served as conductor of the award-winning Juba Gospel Ensemble. In 2006, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Ghana, West Africa to study traditional African religious music.
As a composer and arranger, Bumpers celebrates cultural heritage through his work, while championing Black composers like Florence Price and George Walker. His artistry has graced stages with gospel legends and honored civil rights icons.
Today, as a minister of music, and founder of the Sounds of Life Orchestra, Kevin Wayne Bumpers continues to inspire future generations—preserving legacy, shaping history, and making music that matters.
