John Douglas Kuhl lived from 1951 – 1999, in various Southern Manitoba communities (Gnadenthal, Winkler, Morden, Winnipeg).  While his interests included many of the arts, Doug’s energy and resources were primarily musical.  In particular, he loved Baroque music; he was the founder and director of a small local string ensemble called String-time.  Doug was also involved with regional festivals such as the Red River Festival in Winnipeg.  We have chosen to honour Douglas Kuhl’s legacy and ‘love of music for its own sake’ by naming our music school in honour of the passion and energy Doug gave to promote music in Southern Manitoba.

In addition to being a gifted musician and event organizer, Doug was a successful businessman.  Doug’s family has chosen to honour his memory in forming The Kuhl Foundation which offers financial assistance to many arts organizations including Douglas Kuhl School of Music.