Henry Kennedy

CONDUCTOR

​

British-born conductor Henry Kennedy has recently been appointed as Conductor of Wroclaw Opera where he will be leading a number of productions during the 2022-23 season. This winter Henry was Assistant Conductor to Bassem Akiki at La Monnaie, Brussels, for the World Premiere of Philippe Boesmans’ final opera On purge bébé.

 

Henry made his debut as Conductor at Wroclaw Opera with Don Giovanni in October 2022, to great critical success. Following on from his most recent performances of Carmen, Henry will be conducting a number of different productions including Les Pecheurs de Perles, Il Trittico and Szymanowski's first opera, Hagith. Henry has also had the opportunity to assist on a number of projects including Madama Butterfly (Kristine Opolais in the title role), Le nozze di Figaro and gala concerts with Erwin Schrott and Marina Rebeka respectively.

 

In 2021, Henry was chosen by Riccardo Muti to study with him and to conduct Nabucco, as part of the “Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy”. The Academy was held over 10 days at the Prada Foundation in Milan. Directly following this, he was asked to replace Riccardo Muti for excerpts of Nabucco in concert performances in the theatres of Rimini and Ravenna with the Orchestra Cherubini.

 

As Music Director and Founder of the Resonate Symphony Orchestra from 2017 through to 2021, Henry raised the orchestra to become one of the leading young London ensembles. He curated and conducted a number of diverse programmes in some of London’s most prominent concert halls. The orchestra performed a wide variety of repertoire ranging from Bach’s double piano concerti, Bruckner’s 3rd and 4th symphonies to Shostakovich’s monumental Leningrad Symphony.

 

As an Assistant Conductor, Henry has had the opportunity to work with many different conductors including Marin Alsop, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Jukka Pekka Saraste, Thomas Sondergard and John Wilson, in the recording studio, opera house and concert hall.

 

In early 2020, Henry was selected as one of eight semi-finalists for the Karajan competition in Salzburg, where he had the opportunity to conduct the Mozarteum Orchestra and Austrian Ensemble for New Music in the Salzburg Riding School.

 

Henry studied conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he graduated with Distinction. He has also studied with and been mentored by Richard Bonynge, Colin Metters, Riccardo Muti, Christopher Seaman, Christian Thielemann, and David Zinman.

 

In his spare time, he enjoys cycling around his hometown in the Shropshire Hills and reading Russian literature.