He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in piano performance at Missouri Western State University, and received Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.His teachers included Jerry Anderson and Mark Clinton, piano, and Quentin Faulkner, harpsichord and organ. He received UNL Hixson-Lied travel grants to study with Christoph Lieske at the Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg and to study and perform at the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague. Dr. Bohnenstengel previously taught at UNL and Doane College. His concert schedule has taken him to three continents, including recitals with flutists John Bailey and Javier Montilla in Venezuela and performances at the annual Sommernachtsmusik in Moegglingen, Germany.