Originally from Denver, Colorado, Don attended Boston University on a full tuition scholarship before joining the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1968 as their Assistant Timpanist. While in the BSO, Don also served as a percussion instructor on the faculties of Peabody Conservatory, Morgan State College, and Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna University.

In 1973 he and his young family moved to Toronto where he began his new position as Principal Percussion with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. During the next two decades he appeared several times as a soloist with the orchestra, played just about every ‘big’ part in the percussion repertoire, and was (and still is) active in the orchestra’s educational programmes as a performer, educator, and board sub-committee member.

In 1993, after 20 years in the “hot” seat, Don moved back into the percussion section which gave him time to also pursue other interests; he and his wife Beth (also from Denver) currently enjoy dual citizenship, an extended family including four grandchildren (so far), and Spanky, an American Bulldog/Beagle mix who was rescued as a puppy about a year and 50 pounds ago. They also own Kuehn Enterprises, a small but growing company which manufactures specialty percussion tables and other products which are currently in use throughout North America. Having played Zildjian cymbals for many years, Don is also an artist endorser and clinician with the Zildjian Cymbal Company and his papers on orchestral cymbal repertoire have been published on their website.

Beginning in the 1990s, Don was also able to realize a lifelong ambition – flying! Since then he has logged over 1,000 hours and currently holds a Private Pilot License with a night rating and a Glider Pilot Licence with an Instructor rating. He holds memberships in the Brampton Flying Club and the York Soaring Association, where he is a glider instructor and tow pilot. He is also proud to be an instructor with Freedom’s Wings, a programme at York Soaring which gives glider flight instruction to handicapped student pilots.