Daniel Morris meets a musician who has hit the high notes by landing a prestigious role as conductor of a Canadian orchestra – but his heart is still in Shropshire
At Shropshire Magazine, it is our privilege to reconnect with interviewees of the past – particularly young people destined to make a mark on the world and proudly fly the flag for the county.
When we last met Henry Kennedy, the year was 2018, and the Ludlow born-and-bred musical prodigy was about to embark on his master’s degree in conducting at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music (RAM).
Now, as we catch up with the talented maestro, Henry’s star is rising to heights that many musicians would never even dare to dream of.
An alumnus of Moor Park School, Richards Castle, and later Shrewsbury School, Henry was drawn to music from a very early age.
“When I was at Moor Park I started taking lessons privately on various instruments from the age of around six, including clarinet and piano,” he remembers. “I started doing recitals and little concerts here and there, playing in every summer fete you could imagine with different local bands.
“When I look back it was a hugely important part of my life, playing in those groups. It was very useful to have that experience before I then went to Shrewsbury School. I was awarded a music scholarship, I was very lucky because the music scene there is fantastic.”
Henry’s parents were always wholly supportive of him, though not coming from any musical background of their own, they didn’t push or force him in any direction, allowing his passion to develop of its own accord.
“It was always my own decision and that has helped me. I didn’t come from a musical background, but happily music was never inaccessible to me.”
A pupil at Shrewsbury School from 13 to 18, it was here that the chord of Henry’s love of conducting was first struck.“I had some brilliant teachers at Shrewsbury, and I was 17 when I was asked to conduct a small piece for the final concert at school,” he said.
“I’d considered conducting for five or six years before, somehow it had always been in the back of my mind. I was given an opportunity to conduct a small piece and this very experienced double bass player (who had been in the London Philharmonic Orchestra for many years) came up to me at the end and said, ‘you know, you’ve got something there, Henry, and you should keep on going’.”
From here, Henry’s course was set, and he was soon awarded an undergraduate place at the RAM to study clarinet and piano with conducting.
“I was offered a scholarship, and so I started there in 2014,” he said. “I was very fortunate to play in so many concerts with the best conductors you could imagine and I got to work with some fantastic soloists.
“In the background I was learning to conduct and then after the four years of my undergraduate studies were completed I was awarded a place there to do my master’s degree in conducting, which was for two years.”
Polite and modest to the last, Henry avoids over-selling this tremendous achievement. Yet to give its gravitas some context, the RAM awards only two masters places in conducting a year, and the many applicants from both the UK and abroad are among the finest young musicians on the planet.
Ready to take on the world, the end of Henry’s formal education was approaching. And then, alas, came 2020.
For most people, the Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented time of panic and uncertainty. Global health was in crisis and entire industries, including those of the arts, were forced to shut down almost entirely.
“Up until the first lockdown, work was starting to come in,” Henry remembers, “I’d been signed by my agent in February and had been offered a place in a very prodigious competition in Salzburg, Austria. Everything was really building, and then suddenly in March everything just stopped.
“Like for everyone, it was a very frightening time. The only way I could deal with it was keeping myself as busy as possible, so I decided to host a series of Zooms with various artists from all around the world. I met so many different people that I wouldn’t necessarily have met otherwise.”
Henry’s determination kept him going, yet sadly, the pandemic put paid to many a burgeoning musical career.
“I knew some truly great musicians who gave up because of it,” he reflects. “It was a time where I had to dig deep to keep my dream of conducting alive, and I’m grateful for all of the moral support I had in this.”
Happily Henry was able to come out of the other side, and his persistence has certainly paid off. In a recent, and nothing less than stratospheric development, the now 28-year-old Henry has been awarded the position of Resident Conductor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada.
As the path to becoming an established conductor is typically a very long one, it is exceptionally rare for someone of Henry’s age to fill such a prestigious role – a testament, of course, to his talent, commitment and perseverance.
“The National Arts Centre is effectively the main arts centre of Canada,” said Henry. “So not only have you got the symphony orchestra in the building, you’ve also got a dance theatre, English theatre and indigenous theatre – it’s a vast organisation.
“It is completely bilingual – so French and English – and the orchestra there is truly remarkable.”
When Henry was invited to audition for the job, it’s fair to say his nerves were high. Yet, quickly, a spark was felt between him and his future colleagues.
“I applied back in April, and they flew me out to Ottawa,” he said. “In the audition, I worked with the orchestra for about 30 minutes, performing four different pieces. It doesn’t seem like a long time, but believe me, with an orchestra, they will know immediately if they like you or not after the first two minutes – it’s as quick as that.
“The first piece was Beethoven’s fifth symphony – an iconic piece which everyone would know immediately when they hear it. A daunting prospect! But when I gave the first downbeat, I was in complete awe of this incredible orchestra and from that moment on it was a wonderful relationship. I could immediately feel that bond.”
Henry was quickly appointed to the post and is now living in Canada, relishing his new role.
“It is a two-year position in which I will conduct my own concerts as well as working with the other guest conductors who are coming in – there’s so much going on, and for a young conductor that’s brilliant.”
And while we wish our intrepid Henry all of the luck, fortune and success that is surely due to come from a hard-earned career, it is nice to know that his heart will always be where his home is.
“I’ve travelled all over the world and visited some truly beautiful places,” he said.
“But every time I come back, my roots in Shropshire just grow deeper and deeper. To misquote John Betjeman, Ludlow really is the loveliest town in the world and it will always remain in my heart.”
For more information on the National Arts Centre Orchestra, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/
