ANDREW KENNEDY, TENOR
'A singer of wide, lustrous tone and striking dramatic prowess'
The Times
Finzi Imitations of Mortality
BBC Proms / BBC Concert Orchestra / cond. Paul Daniel
“The tenor Andrew Kennedy led the BBC Chorus in Gerald Finzi's wonderful setting of Wordsworth's ode, Intimations of Immortality, where past memory and present consciousness meld in music of such rapture that, had the poet been a composer, this is how he would have sounded. Kennedy's rapt tenor attended the words like they were the first and last he would utter.”
Edward Seckerson, The Independent, July 2008
“…then came Gerald Finzi's immense setting of Wordsworth, Intimations Of Immortality, with Andrew Kennedy (no relation to Nigel) proving the epitome of the English tenor, light and flexible with just a hint of acid in the voice.”
Nick Kimberley, Evening Standard, July 2008
The Dark Pastoral: Songs and Poetry from World War One
Julius Drake (piano); Simon Russell Beale (Altara)
“A great deal of thought has gone into this recital reflecting on the First World War and its legacy in British song and poetry. Fine musicianship too, with Julius Drake’s accompaniments matching Kennedy’s tenor in subtlety... Highlights are the Ivor Gurney songs and an impressive cluster from the promising William Denis Browne, killed in action in 1915.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, June 2008
Recital including On Wenlock Edge / Gregynog Festival
"Kennedy's perfect diction allowed Housman's words to communicate potently...Kennedy complemented with subtle vocal colours. He set the seal on a rewarding evening with his encore, Warlock's Sleep, magically delivered."
Rian Evans, The Guardian, June 2008
Captain Vere in Britten’s Billy Budd
Houston Grand Opera / Cond. Patrick Summers / dir. Neil Armfield
"British tenor Andrew Kennedy in his HGO debut was superb as the soulful Captain Vere...what a pleasure to hear the English language rendered so beautifully! Kennedy's gracious musicality and subtle phrasing handled the elegant lines with ease, recalling the artistry of Peter Pears."
Opera News, July 2008
“Vere was tenor Andrew Kennedy. In the first moments of the prologue…he hinted at that unique beauty of the late tenor Peter Peers, who originated the role. Kennedy relaxed into a less otherworldly sound which he employed effectively in expressing the urgency of Vere's moral dilemma.”
Charles Ward, Houston Chronicle, April 2008
Bach B minor Mass
Academy of Ancient Music / cond. Stephen Layton
“The tenor Andrew Kennedy was the other star of the show.”
Michael Church, The Independent, March 2008
Strauss: Complete Songs Vol 3
Roger Vignoles (piano)
(Hyperion)
“He gives consistent pleasure with his sweet, sappy tone, free-ringing high notes - a sine qua non in Strauss - and keen, thoughtful characterisation.”
Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph, March 2008
On Wenlock Edge: Vaughan Williams
Simon Crawfod Phillips, Dante Quartet
(Signum Records)
"Kennedy has a big, bright, expressive tenor voice and uses it with fervour, delicacy and imagination. Accompanied by pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips and the Dante Quartet, he emphasises the tragedy and tenderness in the poems. Ivor Gurney's wistful 'Ludlow and Theme', written after the composer's first nervous collapse, is given a similarly powerful reading, as is Ian Venables's 'Songs of Eternity and Sorrow'. A thoughtfully realised recital."
Anna Picard, The Independent, Janaury 2008
Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute
English National Opera / cond. Matrin André / dir. Nicholas Hytner
"Andrew Kennedy and Sarah-Jane Davies return to the roles of Tamino and Pamina, ever more royal of mind, and ever more expansive of voice. They are both valiant and feisty.."
Hilary Finch, The Times , October 2007
"Andrew Kennedy sings an elegant Tamino."
George Hall, The Guardian , October 2007
"Having sung Tamino in 2005, Andrew Kennedy reprises the role with a confidence and style that confirms him as one of Britain's most exciting young tenors."
Laura Battle, Music.omh.com , October 2007
"Kennedy, as he's demonstrated many times before, is a stylish Mozartian and he sang throughout the evening with easy authority."
Hugo Shirley, Musicalcriticism.com, October 2007
Elgar The Fourth of August from The Spirit of England
Last Night of the BBC Proms
"…a moving vignette from the First World War…magnificently sung by the tenor Andrew Kennedy."
Hilary Finch, The Times, September 2007
"A rare performance of The Fourth of August from Elgar's Spirit of England drew passionate singing from the tenor Andrew Kennedy…"
Geoffrey Norris, The Daily Telegraph, September 2007
Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts
London Symphony Orchestra / cond. Yan Pascal Tortelier
"Andrew Kennedy's magnificent tenor soared through his high B-flats with luminous ease."
Neil Fisher, The Times, July 2007
"The tenor soloist was Andrew Kennedy, rapt, ecstatic and offering us a brief vision of paradise amid the violence and despair."
Tim Ashley, The Guardian, July 2007
Britten Serenade for tenor, horn and strings
BBC National Orchestra of Wales / cond. Tadaaki Otaka
"Andrew Kennedy captured the music's more austere, often eerie, atmosphere. Kennedy is already gaining a reputation for his Britten: the articulation is impeccable, and he colours the high phrases without any strain. He brought an almost operatic drama to the brief but pungent Elegy and a lovely fleetness to the hunting images of the Hymn."
Rian Evans, The Guardian, June 2007
Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress
La Monnaie / cond. Kazushi Ono / dir. Robert Lepage
"The young English tenor Andrew Kennedy, in the demanding title role, continues to display refined musical accomplishments, which made his mad scene especially moving… There is tremendous promise here."
Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, April 2007
"Andrew Kennedy's Tom is magically phrased"
Francis Carlin, Financial Times, April 2007
South Bank Show Awards 2007- Nominated for Best Break Through Award
"Andrew Kennedy is the real deal - a tenor with both the notes and the intelligence to know how to use them. It's a rare combination. ... A precocious talent in that most tricky of genres, lieder. Singing at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2005 he won the Song Prize for his sensitive and poetic insight, and he has since followed up that success with a superbly expressive album of works by Peter Warlock. ... 2006 was the year that Kennedy really blossomed on stage. In March, he was an ardent and believable Fenton in ENO's production of Vaughan Williams's Sir John in Love. And his was the standout performance in Glyndebourne on Tour's production of Così fan tutte as a Ferrando to remember."
Neil Fisher, The Times, January 2007
Nemorino in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love
Opera North / cond. Tecwyn Evans / dir. Daniel Slater
"The true revelation is the Opera North debut of tenor Andrew Kennedy, whose gawky Nemorino is affectingly acted and exquisitely sung. The experience is so warm-hearted that you leave the theatre feeling positively tanned and healthy. Tell your friends - or, on second thoughts, don't: they'll all want to go."
Alfred Hickley, The Guardian, January 2007
"I was impressed by how well Andrew Kennedy sustains Nemorino's melancholy hit tune Una furtiva lagrima . And his portrayal of the unglamorous underdog who comes good has a touching sincerity."
Richard Morrison, The Times, January 2007
"Kennedy, recent winner of several significant vocal prizes, displayed his well-schooled and evenly produced tenor. He's a fine musician, with a nice sense of line, and Una furtiva lagrima was elegantly done."
Rupert Christiansen, The Daily Telegraph, January 2007
"Andrew Kennedy's Nemorino makes the difficult transition from gawky admirer to self-confident lover in easy stages. There is a winning pathos to his tone, not least in the final phrase of Una furtiva lagrima .
Martin Dreyer, The Press, January 2007
"Tenor Andrew Kennedy reveals his Nemorino to be a sensitive soul rather than a wimp, displaying a ticklish good humour as he falls prey first to the effects of alcohol and then the attentions of the tipsy village girls. Sentiment in comedy is hard to bring off without seeming corny, but Adina, credimi in Act I and the best-known number, Una furtiva lagrima are perfect for Kennedy's bright tone."
Lynne Walker, The Independent, February 2007
The Curlew: Songs by Peter Warlock
Simon Lepper - Piano (Landor Records)
"Andrew Kennedy brings a varied approach to the 27 songs. He can reduce his tone without spoiling its quality, caressing the meditative or introverted songs, like "The Night" and "The First Mercy", the latter with some lovely quiet singing, as there is in "Bethlehem Down", with delicate piano-playing from Simon Lepper. Kennedy manages, however, to bring strength and vigour to more boisterous numbers, such as "Mr Belloc's Fancy", showing himself capable of colouring his tone…He can produce a good legato too, as can be heard in the first two stanzas of "My Own Country "… A touch of torment inflects Kennedy's reproof of the curlew in the opening song, a piece in which the voice occupies only a short section, whereas in the brief second song the tone is one of sadness, a subtle differentiation on Kennedy's part. The very long third song is almost ghostly, and Kennedy augments the haunting atmosphere with skilfully used head-voice in places. The final song, with voice appearing in less than half, finds the poet by the edge of 'this desolate lake', and one seizes on 'desolate' as befitting the whole poem, to which Kennedy brings great sensitivity, with fine, almost mesmerizing playing from his colleagues… This is an interesting selection, worthy of attention. This is the first disc, but if future song recitals are as good I want to know of them."
John T. Hughes, Classical Source, December 2006
"Kennedy's interpretation of the piece [The Curlew ] is both intense and self-effacing, rightly trusting the mysterious emotional charge of Yeats' loss-haunted lyrics and Warlock's harmonically shadowy settings without undue intervention. His diction is tellingly clear but never effortful, and that also enhances the impact on the listener. Andrew Kennedy's immaculately discriminating performances may easily have you believing it."
Terry Blain, Muso, December 2006
"Andrew Kennedy, one of our best young tenors, has chosen Peter Warlock's neglected W.B.Yeats cycle The Curlew (and 23 other songs) for his first recital disc. Accompanied by string quartet, the Pavão, flute (Daniel Pailthorpe) and cor anglais (Owen Dennis) - the desolate Curlew shows Warlock at his deepest and most innovative; and Kennedy sings it with plangent and ingratiating tone. The pianist on some of the other songs is Simon Lepper. The best of Warlock is to be found in 'The Frostbound Wood' and 'Sleep' . Kennedy makes a strong case for agreement with Constant Lambert's estimation of Warlock as one of the greatest of song-writers. Excellent recording quality and balance."
Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph, December 2006
"In both of these works Andrew Kennedy shows an absorption, and an ability to hone in on the details that matter without sacrificing the sense of the longer line, that often feels just right. His sweet English tenor voice can soar enticingly, but also has a strong, dark lower register - first shown to advantage at the start of 'Autumn Twilight' and drawn out to great advantage in The Curlew. ...The sound is very good, as are the accompanists. Balance is excellent in The Curlew."
Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine, December 2006
"For his debut CD the gifted tenor Andrew Kennedy plunges into the Peter Warlock songbook and emerges with a well-balanced programme of carols, roisterings and the deeply melancholic song cycle The Curlew …Kennedy's singing is always expressive - The Frostbound Wood is a knockout."
Geoff Brown, The Times, December 2006
"Tenor Andrew Kennedy's first solo album is this thoughtful examination of the music of Peter Warlock….The centrepiece is the haunting 1920 Yeats cycle The Curlew, in which Kennedy uses whispered half-tones to create a sense of unearthly mystery, while the Pavao Quartet together with flautist Andrew Pailthorpe and cor anglais player Owen Dennis spin eerie sounds around him. Elsewhere, with pianist Simon Lepper, Kennedy gives beautiful performances of Bethlehem Down and The Night ."
Tim Ashley, The Guardian, December 2006
"Andrew Kennedy is a singer with fine powers of definition, whether of notes or words"
John Steane, Gramaphone Magazine, December 2006
Ferrando in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte
Glyndebourne Touring Opera / cond. Gerard Korsten / dir. Nicholas Hytner
"Kennedy delivers a rapt account of Un'aura amorosa , one of the best heard at Glyndebourne in decades."
Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, October 2006
"Andrew Kennedy's Ferrando, meanwhile, is a masterclass of tenor singing, riding the heady waves of Un aura amorosa with consummate control."
Neil Fisher, The Times, October 2006
Britten Les Illuminations at Edinburgh International Festival
Scottish Ensemble / cond. Jonathan Morton
"Tenor Andrew Kennedy displayed more pent-up energy than your average Festival performer, bounding on stage for his deeply coloured interpretation of Britten's Les Illuminations. It was just what Britten's settings of Rimbaud's Symbolist poems needed, startlingly varied as they are, this tenor effervescing through a carnival of imagery and orchestration, alone holding, as he repeatedly tells us, "the key to this savage parade".
Sarah Jones, The Scotland on Sunday, August 2006
"In what was surely one of the most stunning recitals so far in this year's Bank of Scotland Queen's Hall series, the Scottish Ensemble were joined by tenor Andrew Kennedy and mezzo soprano Jane Irwin. In 'Les Illuminations ', Kennedy's effusive, near-operatic approach was animated enough to characterise the iridescent colourings and moods inspired by Rimbaud's eccentric, often enigmatic text, but never so much that Britten's mellifluous clarity was fudged. "
Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman, August 2006
"Andrew Kennedy's expressive reading of 'Les Illuminations' was compelling. The tenor was effortlessly persuasive."
Keith Bruce, The Glasgow Herald, August 2006
Jacquino in Beethoven's Fidelio
Glyndebourne Festival Opera / cond. Mark Elder / dir. Deborah Warner
"Most touching, however, is Warner's attention to the little people in this heroic drama, including the heartbroken ingénues Marzelline (Lisa Milne) and Jaquino (Andrew Kennedy). The vibrato-free opening of "Mir ist so wunderbar" - a quartet so beautiful that it seems to stop time - is breathtaking. It is also quite exquisitely sung by Milne, Kampe, Kennedy and Sherratt, which makes this the second Glyndebourne production in one season to have raised the bar on ensemble singing to a dizzying height. Concert performances aside, I doubt I will hear a better sung Fidelio."
Anna Picard, The Independent, July 2006
"Jaquino is brought to seethingly frustrated life by the tenor Andrew Kennedy (the best thing I've heard him do)."
John Allison, Sunday Telegraph, July 2006
"This remains a vibrant and powerful ensemble creation, with a lively Jaquino in Andrew Kennedy."
Hilary Finch, The Times, June 2006
"Andrew Kennedy is an endearing Jaquino."
Rupert Christiansen, The Daily Telegraph, June 2006
Britten's Variations for tenor, horn and strings
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at City Hall, Glasgow / cond. Stefan Solyom
"Stefan Solyom directed a poised and atmospheric account of Britten's Variations for tenor, horn and strings, with Andrew Kennedy a supple and light-voiced singer (with tons of hidden reserve)."
Michael Tumelty, The Herald, 1 May 2006
Title role in Handel's Judas Maccabeus , London Handel Festival / cond. Laurence Cummings
"Thank goodness for the ever more muscular tenor of Andrew Kennedy, whose stature in the title role increased apace throughout this long evening."
Hilary Finch, The Times , April 2006
"Andrew Kennedy delivered the title role with fine heroic style."
Barry Millington, Evening Standard , March 2006
Fenton in Vaughan Williams Sir John in Love
English National Opera / cond. Oleg Caetani / dir. Ian Judge
"Andrew Kennedy shone as the ardent Fenton."
Fiona Maddocks, The Evening Standard , March 2006
"Anne and Fenton are played by Sarah Fox and Andrew Kennedy, who sound glorious in their scenes together."
Tim Ashley, The Guardian , March 2006
Rosenblatt recital, St John's, Smith Square
"Andrew Kennedy's programme was musically two or three cuts above the norm for these concerts. It even included Britten's Michelangelo Sonnets and, still more remarkable, the rarely performed eight songs Op.57 of Brahms. With Simon Crawford-Phillips as his accomplished pianist, Kennedy gave fine performances, as befits a winner of the Cardiff International Competition's prize for Lieder. The resonance and power of the voice were exciting: a good voice indeed and a well-managed art."
John Steane, Opera Now , March/April 2006
Labourer in Chausson Le Roi Arthus
BBC Symphony Orchestra / cond. Leon Botstein (Telarc CD-80645)
“A prelude led by plaintive solo cello is followed by an exception for the composer – the labourer’s song, a pure folkloric melody encompassing stanzas and refrain. This moment is a triumph for tenor Andrew Kennedy, the best natural voice in the cast.”
David J Baker, Opera News, December 2005
“The casting of the smaller parts is remarkable. In particular, the tenor Andrew Kennedy makes you prick up your ears.”
A Laska, Das Opernglas, October 2005
Haydn Lo Speziale and La Canterina
Classical Opera Company at Wigmore Hall / cond. Ian Page
“Per quell che ha mal di stomaco” proved a natural tenor solo for Andrew Kennedy, this year’s song recital prizewinner at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Previously, Kennedy had appeared as the lustful music teacher from La Canterina, showing off his latest aria to the pretty heroine. Kennedy’s comic gifts and fulsome tone found a fine showcase here.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, October 2005
“But of course it was Andrew Kennedy’s Oedipus which stole the show. Andrew’s voice has more heroic weight to it than most tenors in the English lyric tradition, and he filled out the ringing phrases and florid lines most impressively. He also possesses unusual stage presence and confidence for one so young, and this was altogether a major performance.”
Classical Music on the Web, June 2005
“One of the best golden hopes among British Opera Singers…”
The Independent, June 2005
“Andrew Kennedy in the bad-guy role set the pace with 'Behold on Lethe's dismal strand', as Artabanes, Xerxes' murderer, evokes his vengeful ghost. Kennedy didn't just sing the notes, he galvanised the whole show.”
Opera Now, June 2005
“Cardiff Prize Winner Andrew Kennedy: a singer of wide, lustrous tone and striking dramatic prowess.”
The Times, June 2005
BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2005
"Two very different tenors were also extremely impressive and clearly in the running for the title. Andrew Kennedy, representing England, was the winner of the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize and his beautiful lyric tenor voice was heard to great advantage in music by Handel and Mozart, and particularly in 'Povero Ernesto' from Donizetti's Don Pasquale. There was an open, focussed timbre, where nothing was forced or strained in this captivating performance."
Michael Bell, Western Mail, June 2005
"Kennedy's strengths lie in his immaculate sense of style and his keen musical and verbal intelligence. They rightly won him the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize."
Hilary Finch, The Times, June 2005
"The English tenor Andrew Kennedy won the separate Rosenblatt Song Prize - deservedly so, by all accounts. In the mainstream competition, he sang Mozart and Donizetti with style and musicality."
Rupert Christiansen, The Daily Telegraph, June 2005
"Andrew Kennedy's sensitive and intelligent singing made for rewarding listening and his prize in Friday's song final was deserved."
Rian Evans, The Guardian, June 2005
Kathleen Ferrier Awards 2004
“The 26-year-old is that rare creature: a distinctively English tenor, alert to the minutest expressive inflections of Britten and Gurney. Yet he's robust and expansive enough to sell himself across a broad spectrum of musical idioms, from a glowing, smiling Strauss "Nichts" to "Parmi veder le lagrime" from Rigoletto.”
The Times
Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte
Royal Opera House, Vilar Young Artists programme
“The chunk of Cosi was a straightforward showcase for tomorrow's talent of the sort that music colleges put on twice yearly. Except that the talent on the Vilar programme is a cut above your average conservatoire voice. Here the revelation was Andrew Kennedy, singing Ferrando: a classic English tenor in the making, unforced, lyrical and graceful with a stage persona to match.”
The Times