Vocal Section Adjudicator
Ian Kennedy
Ian Kennedy studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he won the coveted Gold Medal. As a tenor soloist he has sung in opera, oratorio and on the concert platform throughout the UK and abroad. His solo repertoire ranges from pre-Baroque to contemporary musical theatre. He has appeared as a soloist at a number of prestigious festivals, including the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. In lighter vein, he has appeared in musical theatre and operetta. In addition to his solo career, Ian was a member of the BBC Singers for nearly three decades.
Also an experienced accompanist and conductor, Ian numbers amongst the orchestras he has directed the Houston Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic – at the Hollywood Bowl. He was for several years Musical Director of “Gilbert and Sullivan for All” and also
Associate Conductor of the National Concert Orchestra. In 1995 he combined his love of choral music with his conducting when he became Musical Director of the East Surrey Choral Society.
Ian now devotes much of his time to teaching. He was appointed to the staff of the Guildhall in 1986 where, in addition to one-to-one lessons, he runs
classes in oratorio and light music. In 2012 he was invited onto the music staff at Chichester University and he is a visiting professor at Peterhouse College, Cambridge and City University, London. Alongside these commitments, he also has a busy private teaching practice.
He is constantly in demand as a tutor on summer schools and as a festival adjudicator and is also increasingly busy with vocal and choral workshops. Outside music, his overriding passion is sport – and in particular, golf. Ian claims that his handicap could be considerably lower and his playing standard consistently better….. if only he had more time for concentrated practice ….and possibly a little more self-discipline and patience! (Students: Please note that any comparisons with singing are purely coincidental!)