Canada’s Nationwide Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has introduced the appointment of Nova Scotian conductor Henry Kennedy to the brand new place of Resident Conductor. A local of New Glasgow, NS, Kennedy will start his two-year time period initially of the 2024-25 season.
Greater than 50 submissions have been obtained from eligible Canadians and Everlasting Residents. From the lengthy listing, 5 finalists have been auditioned. Suggestions from the orchestra members and the Inventive Advisory Committee was thought of, and the ultimate resolution was made by Music Director Alexander Shelley.
“This appointment marks an thrilling new chapter for the Nationwide Arts Centre, as we broaden our suite {of professional} growth alternatives for Canadian artists,” says Nelson McDougall, NACO Managing Director.
“The variety of candidates for this place exhibits the necessity for elevated collaboration from Orchestra throughout Canada to assist the subsequent technology of Canadian conductors, and we’re already shifting on plans to realize this for the numerous proficient younger conductors we found by this course of. By including this new position to current packages, like our NACO Mentorship Program, and packages we assist comparable to Tapestry Opera’s Ladies in Musical Management Program, the worldwide Maestra and Malko competitions, and OAcademy, we’re maximizing efforts in direction of the event of younger conductors. There’s nothing extra vital than top-flight, hands-on work for a conductor within the early levels of their profession.”
Maestro Henry Kennedy
From Nova Scotia, Kennedy has studied and pursued his profession largely within the U.Okay. up to now. The 27 year-old was Conductor of Poland’s Wroclaw Opera for the 2022-23 season, and in the summertime of 2023, served as Assistant Conductor to Sir John Eliot Gardiner for Berlioz’s opera Les Troyens. That manufacturing toured to the Berlioz Competition, Salzburg Competition, The Royal Opera of Versailles, Berliner Philharmonie, and BBC Proms.
Later this 12 months, he’ll be conducting performances of Tosca in Italy with Orchestra Cherubini in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of Puccini’s demise, and making his debut with the Warsaw Radio Orchestra.
Different notable achievements:
- Henry is the founding father of the London, UK-based Resonate Symphony Orchestra, and has served as music director since 2017;
- He holds a Grasp of Arts in conducting and a Bachelor of Music in clarinet from the Royal Academy of Music, London;
- He studied conducting underneath Riccardo Muti, and aiding a number of distinguished conductors all over the world.
Henry will journey to Ottawa through the summer time through the NAC Orchestra’s summer time live performance sequence, and makes his official begin in September.
Henry Kennedy says, “I really feel tremendously honoured to be becoming a member of the Nationwide Arts Centre Orchestra as their Resident Conductor. I’ll always remember the lightning bolt response I obtained from the Orchestra within the audition after I gave the downbeat for the primary motion of Beethoven’s fifth Symphony. From the start to the top of the audition, I felt a musical electrical energy that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than. This place presents a novel alternative to work alongside a number of the world’s best musicians and contribute to the colourful cultural panorama of Canada. I stay up for a interval of immense progress and inventive collaboration within the lovely metropolis of Ottawa.”
Together with working with Alexander Shelley as his mentee, Kennedy will even be assistant conductor to Principal Visitor Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, and he’ll be a part of a conductor alternate program with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Alexander Shelley, NACO Music Director, commented, “I’m delighted to be welcoming Henry to our inventive workforce. Throughout his audition he demonstrated great method and poise in entrance of the orchestra and spoke eloquently in regards to the position of the conductor locally and in regards to the significance of music to us all. He joins us at an thrilling second in his profession as his work throughout the pond within the UK and Europe continues to blossom. I’m assured that our audiences in Ottawa and throughout Canada will profit tremendously from his artistry. Welcome, Henry!”
Congratulations to Henry and the NAC Orchestra on their upcoming adventures.
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