Andrew Kennedy (tenor)

Andrew Kennedy (born 26 May 1977) is an English tenor. He was born in Ashington, Northumberland, England, was a chorister at Durham Cathedral, attended Uppingham School, and then was a choral scholar at King's College, Cambridge. Further study at the Royal College of Music was followed by a place on the Vilar Young Artists programme at the Royal Opera House where he performed many solo principal roles.

He won 1st prize at the Jackdaws Vocal Award in 1999 (now called the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards).^[1] He sang for Bampton Classical Opera in 2002.^[2] From 2005–2007 he was a member of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme. In 2005, he won the Rosenblatt Recital Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition .^[3] He is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award winner^[4] and won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artists’ Award in 2006.^[5]

Kennedy has sung principal roles in major opera houses of the world including La Scala, Milan, Royal Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Houston Grand Opera, Oper Frankfurt, L'Opéra Comique in Paris, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera de Lyon. He had an international concert career and worked with some of the world's principal orchestras with conductors such as John Eliot Gardiner, Kazushi Ono, Sir Colin Davis, Gianandrea Noseda, Esa Pekka Salonen, Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington, Andris Nelsons and Daniele Gatti. Appearances at the BBC Proms include Finzi Intimations of Immortality (BBCSO/Daniel); Howells Hymnus Paradisi (BBCSO/Brabbins); a live televised performance of Sullivan The Yeomen of the Guard (BBC Concert Orchestra/Jane Glover) and Elgar The Spirit of England at the 2007 Last Night of the BBC Proms with Jiří Bělohlávek.

In September 2019 he became Director of Music at Uppingham School.^[6] According to his website,^[7] he is still available for short-term concert work.

He is married to Anna Kennedy, a psychotherapist specialising in counselling children and adolescents based in Rutland.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2022 Andrew and Anna Kennedy founded the Rutland Ladies’ Choir, a community choir launched to support the mental health of local women. Now 80 ladies strong, Andrew leads the choir as their Musical Director.

Discography

CDs

• Britten - Saint Nicholas (2013) with Stephen Cleobury, The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and Britten Sinfonia
• Warlock - The Curlew & songs by Peter Warlock (2006) with Simon Lepper and Pavao Quartet
• Judith Weir - On Buying A Horse (2006) with Susan Bickley (mezzo-soprano), Ailish Tynan (soprano), Iain Burnside (piano) ^[8]
• Vaughan Williams - On Wenlock Edge (2008) with the Dante Quartet

References

1. "Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards". Jackdaws.org.uk. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
2. Dunnett, Roderic (25 July 2002). "I Due Baroni De Rocca Azzurra, Bampton Classical Opera, Bampton, Oxfordshire". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020..
3. "Andrew Kennedy | Artists | Askonas Holt". 17 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
4. "Andrew Kennedy". Borletti-Buitoni Trust. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
5. "RPS Awards - Young Artists: Past Winners". Royal Philharmonic Society. 30 April 2005. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
6. "New Director of Music Announced". Uppingham School. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
7. "Andrew Kennedy Welcome". Andrewkennedytenor.com. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
8. "Weir On Buying a Horse". Gramophone. Retrieved 3 January 2024.