Daniel J. Kennedy

Composer Musician Educator

Recent concerts of Daniel J. Kennedy's chamber music

12:00 pm, Thursday, July 2, 2009
with Dan Holmes, drums, and Jason Schwartz, bass
part of Westfield State College's Music Department's faculty series,
"First Thursdays @ the Athenaeum"
Westfield (Mass.) Athenaeum, 6 Elm Street
 

The Hartsbrook Equinox Concert
7 PM, Friday, March 20, 2009 
Piening Hall, The Hartsbrook School
193 Bay Road, Hadley, Massachusetts 01035
featuring the Florence Camerata (string quartet)
works by Daniel J. Kennedy, Stephen Katz, and Peter Sculthorpe

 
Music Composition Departmental Recital

7:30 PM, Thursday, April 16, 2009

Bates Hall Rm. 117, Westfield State College
577 Western Ave., Westfield, Massachusetts 01086
premiere of Tree-Oh! (2009) by Daniel J. Kennedy
as well as superb student works

 




bio

Composer Daniel J. Kennedy (b. 1970) is a Lecturer in Theory and Composition at Westfield State College.  A commissioned composer, graduate of Oberlin Conservatory (B.Mus.) and New England Conservatory (M.M. with Hon.), his musical compositions have been performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Essex Chamber Music Players, and at the Aspen Music Festival, among others. His Woodwind Quintet is published by Dorn Publications. He conducts "How to Compose" seminars for ages 7 and up.

Daniel's chamber music is designed to be rhythmically and melodically direct, though often harmonically twisted in unexpected and delightful ways.  His teachers have included Michael Gandolfi and Michael Daugherty.  His teachers' teachers include Arnold Schoenberg (via Richard Hoffmann), Aaron Copland (via Malcolm Peyton), and Nadia Boulanger (via Gil Miranda and Randolph E. Coleman).

In his teaching of music composition, Kennedy stresses music history, particularly 20th century compositional techniques, and encourages each student to write from her or his individual voice.

Daniel J. Kennedy is available for commissions of new music.  Please contact him to learn more.  Do you have an ensemble you want a piece written for?  School or college group?  Contemporary ensemble?  Concert, recital, or ceremony to which you wish to add a unique flavor?  Contact Daniel at your convenience.

 
 

  photo by H. Boscovic

 Daniel J. Kennedy’s music has been played by (among others):

Aspen Festival Orchestra
Cleveland Chamber Symphony
Essex Chamber Music Players

Florence Camerata

Music at Eden’s Edge

New England Conservatory Orchestra

Oberlin Wind Ensemble

 

Chi-Chen Wu
Darryl Harper
Gabby Diaz

Glen Velez
Janna Baty

Paul Orgel
Pedro Verdugo
Rafael Popper-Keizer

Tonja King

membership and honors

American Composers Forum (ACF) | American Music Center (AMC) | American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) | Pi Kappa Lambda, IOTA Chapter | College Music Society (CMS) | National Honor Society (NHS) | Valley Piano Teacher's Association (VPTA) | Engraved an Anthony Braxton piece for the Harvard University Jazz Band | Delivered speech, "How to Purchase a Piano," Daniel J. Kennedy Piano Studio; September, 2000 | Winner of composition competition for the NEC Honors Woodwind Quintet, 2004

search terms

"Piano music" "Composition Instruction" "Composer" "New Music" "new music" "Contemporary music" "Contemporary American composers" "Massachusetts composers" "Amherst" "Amherst, MA" "Amherst, Mass."  “Amherst, Mass” "Amherst, Massachusetts" "Massachusetts" "01002" "01003" "01004" "01059" "Music" "Lessons" "Teacher" “Western Mass” “Western Massachusetts” "Instructor" "new music" "compose" "composer" "music theory" "chamber music" "Chamber music" "Original chamber music" "USA" "Festival" "New piano music" "bassoon" "clarinet quintet" "duo" "Piano four hands" "composition" "Prelude" "preludes" "Woodwind Quintet" "string quartet" "publisher" "commission" "commissioned" "Contemporary American composer" "American Composers Forum" "American Music Center"

 

~Back to top~