Über Justin Kennedy:
Klaviermusik von einem anderen Stern – das mag ein enthusiastisches Urteil sein, vom anderen Ende der Welt kommt sie allemal: Justin Kennedy beweist, dass Australien mehr zu bieten hat als Känguruhs, eine atemberaubende Natur und die magischen Klänge des Didgeridoos.
Justin Kennedy wurde 1970 geboren. Schon mit 12 Jahren debütierte er im Opernhaus seiner Geburtsstadt Sydney, mit 16 wurde er beim RCA Wettbewerb ausgezeichnet; ein Stipendium des renommierten Waverley College ermöglichte ihm auch das Geigenstudium, und er war Mitglied des Sydney Youth Orchestra.
Während seines vom Australian Arts Council geförderten Studiums an der Canberra School of Music, wo er bei John Luxton, Peter Nagy und Susan Powell studierte, war er Dirigent des Canberra Community Orchestra.
In dieser Zeit hat Justin Kennedy auch an mehreren Meisterklassen und Musikfesten, u.a. dem Townsville International Chamber Music Festival, teilgenommen.
Nach ergänzenden Studien bei Peter Katin am Katin Centre in London und an der Liszt-Akademie in Budapest wurde er Repetitor und Direktor einiger Londoner Chöre.
Seine internationale Konzerttätigkeit führte ihn vom Sydney Opera House an so renommierte Orte wie St. Paul´s Cathedral und St. John’s Smith Square, London, und – als Dirigent der Cardinal Vaughan Schola Cantorum – sogar in den Vatikan.
Seit 2003 lebt und arbeitet Justin Kennedy in München. Er hat Solokonzerte in Augsburg sowie im Münchner Stadtmuseum, im Steinway Haus und im Messestadt Kulturzentrum gegeben. 2010 hat er in Wien mit großem Erfolg im Bösendorfersaal sowie im Kaisersaal der Klaviergalerie in der Reihe „Wiener Klassik“ gespielt.
Biography:
Australian-born pianist Justin Kennedy began taking piano lessons with Margaret Moore in Sydney at the age of 6. At 12 he performed for Dr. Suzuki, the founder of the Suzuki method, at the Sydney Opera House during the latter’s visit to Australia.
Justin Kennedy attended Waverley College in Sydney, where he received a music scholarship which also enabled him to study the violin. He became a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra, and also attended the Pan Pacific Music Camp as a violinist. At 16 he was awarded a „Highly Commended“ at the RCA Music Competition and won the Waverley College Music Eisteddfod, a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance.
Justin Kennedy later attended the Canberra School of Music at the Australian National University, where he studied the piano with John Luxton, Susan Powell and visiting artist Peter Nagy from Budapest; he further studied conducting with Leonard Dommett. During his studies, Justin gave regular performances and attended master classes with Bela Siki. He also travelled to London, where he studied shortly with Peter Katin.
After returning to Australia, he became Director of the Canberra Community Orchestra and received an Australian Arts Council Award for the development of and dedication to the orchestra. At the International Chamber Music Festival in Townsville he performed in master classes with the renowned cellist Torlief Thedeen and with the pianist Lamar Krowson. Before graduating, Justin performed again in the Sydney Opera House to a full audience which included the Mayor of Sydney.
In 1997, Justin returned to London where he worked as an accompanist, choir director and teacher. He also toured with several choirs, including the Cardinal Vaughan Schola Cantorum, which performed in St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. As a conductor he also performed in the renowned London concert venue St John’s Smith Square.
Since moving to Germany, Justin has given solo concerts in Augsburg, Munich and northern Italy. In Munich he was the first concert pianist to play in the Messestadt Culture Centre’s new piano series. He has also performed regularly at the Steinway Haus as well as in the Munich City Museum (Collection of Musical Instruments). In 2010 he played with great success in Vienna in the Bösendorfer Concert Hall as well as in the Kaisersaal of the Klaviergalerie in the series „Wiener Klassik“.