John Kilkenny is a percussionist, conductor, and executive leader who successfully manages a modern, 21st-century career in the performing arts.
Committed to our time's music, John regularly appears as a soloist and chamber musician with a range of ensembles. He has given the Washington, DC, region premiere of the Philip Glass Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Wind Symphony. In addition, he has performed Michael Daugherty's timpani concerto Raise the Roof with orchestras and wind ensembles across the United States. Other notable concerto performances include Viet Cuong Re(New)al and Daugherty's U.F.O. In 2014 he participated in the D.C. premiere of John Luther Adams most recent large-scale work, Sila: Breath of the World, with the United States Air Force Band, a co-commission with Lincoln Center and was featured in a duo recital with cellist Tobias Werner on the 2016 Washingtonians on Wednesday recital series at the National Gallery of Art. Recent collaborations include The Kennedy Center Juke Box Series, the 21st Century Consort, The Washington Bach Consort, National Gallery New Music Ensemble, and the Verge Ensemble.
Hailed as a "particularly fine timpanist" by the Washington Post, John has enjoyed an active career as a symphonic percussionist, appearing with the National Symphony, Washington National Opera and Ballet, The Washington Concert Opera, Washington Chamber Symphony, American Symphony, Cathedral Choral Society, Washington Chorus, Choral Arts Society of Washington, and The Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra, to name a few.
Appointed Artistic and Executive Director of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in 2018, John is guiding this esteemed Festival to new heights of artistic success. Over the last five seasons, the Festival can point to significant increases in enrollment, earned revenue, and annual giving. Additionally, John has secured two significant endowment gifts in recent years, the first in over a decade. In addition, John has developed new and expanded partnerships with D.E.I. Pathway programs and founded the first-ever National Advisory Board, a group of thought leaders who meet annually to offer overall strategic guidance for the Festival. In the 2020-2021 season, the Sewanee Festival joined forces with The Center for the Arts at George Mason University, The Boulangier Initiative, Carnegie Hall, and Third Coast Percussion to commission a new work by American composer Tyondi Braxton. The festival premiered Avner Dorman's new concerto for cello, piano and orchestra, and will premiere multiple new works in the 2023 and 2024 season
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sewanee Music Festival launched its first-ever WinterFest. Offered digitally, this groundbreaking new program will focus on career development, community engagement, performance practice, and in-depth study of the symphonic and Operatic literature.
Deeply committed to the future of classical music and a dedicated educator, John was Director of Percussion Studies and Associate Professor at George Mason University for fifteen years. The Mason percussion group, which John founded, has performed all over the world, including tours of Costa Rica, scheduled tours of China, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and clinic performances at the Virginia Music Educators, New York State Music Educators, Western International Band Conference, and twice Percussive Arts Society International Conventions.
Recognized internationally as an engaging and thoughtful clinician, John has enjoyed the unique opportunity to work with gifted young musicians at a wide range of institutions, including the Eastman School of Music, the Shepherd School at Rice University, The University of Michigan, The Juilliard Pre-College, Interlochen School for the Arts, University of Tennessee, University of North Carolina, The National Institute of Music in San Jose Costa Rica, The University of Costa Rica, and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In addition, he has presented a regular series of workshops for percussion students at New York University for several years. A long-standing relationship with The Music for All organization has seen John appear for many years as an evaluator and clinician for the Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, and in 2019 he served as the percussion clinician for the MFA Honor Orchestra of America.
John studied conducting with Anthony Maiello and began early percussion training with Jonathan Haas and William Richards. He received his bachelor's degree at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Greg Zuber and Daniel Druckman. He completed a Master's Degree at Temple University, where he studied with legendary percussionist Alan Abel. He is sponsored by Vic Firth Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Percussion products, and Adams/Pearl Percussion.
Committed to our time's music, John regularly appears as a soloist and chamber musician with a range of ensembles. He has given the Washington, DC, region premiere of the Philip Glass Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Wind Symphony. In addition, he has performed Michael Daugherty's timpani concerto Raise the Roof with orchestras and wind ensembles across the United States. Other notable concerto performances include Viet Cuong Re(New)al and Daugherty's U.F.O. In 2014 he participated in the D.C. premiere of John Luther Adams most recent large-scale work, Sila: Breath of the World, with the United States Air Force Band, a co-commission with Lincoln Center and was featured in a duo recital with cellist Tobias Werner on the 2016 Washingtonians on Wednesday recital series at the National Gallery of Art. Recent collaborations include The Kennedy Center Juke Box Series, the 21st Century Consort, The Washington Bach Consort, National Gallery New Music Ensemble, and the Verge Ensemble.
Hailed as a "particularly fine timpanist" by the Washington Post, John has enjoyed an active career as a symphonic percussionist, appearing with the National Symphony, Washington National Opera and Ballet, The Washington Concert Opera, Washington Chamber Symphony, American Symphony, Cathedral Choral Society, Washington Chorus, Choral Arts Society of Washington, and The Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra, to name a few.
Appointed Artistic and Executive Director of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in 2018, John is guiding this esteemed Festival to new heights of artistic success. Over the last five seasons, the Festival can point to significant increases in enrollment, earned revenue, and annual giving. Additionally, John has secured two significant endowment gifts in recent years, the first in over a decade. In addition, John has developed new and expanded partnerships with D.E.I. Pathway programs and founded the first-ever National Advisory Board, a group of thought leaders who meet annually to offer overall strategic guidance for the Festival. In the 2020-2021 season, the Sewanee Festival joined forces with The Center for the Arts at George Mason University, The Boulangier Initiative, Carnegie Hall, and Third Coast Percussion to commission a new work by American composer Tyondi Braxton. The festival premiered Avner Dorman's new concerto for cello, piano and orchestra, and will premiere multiple new works in the 2023 and 2024 season
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sewanee Music Festival launched its first-ever WinterFest. Offered digitally, this groundbreaking new program will focus on career development, community engagement, performance practice, and in-depth study of the symphonic and Operatic literature.
Deeply committed to the future of classical music and a dedicated educator, John was Director of Percussion Studies and Associate Professor at George Mason University for fifteen years. The Mason percussion group, which John founded, has performed all over the world, including tours of Costa Rica, scheduled tours of China, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and clinic performances at the Virginia Music Educators, New York State Music Educators, Western International Band Conference, and twice Percussive Arts Society International Conventions.
Recognized internationally as an engaging and thoughtful clinician, John has enjoyed the unique opportunity to work with gifted young musicians at a wide range of institutions, including the Eastman School of Music, the Shepherd School at Rice University, The University of Michigan, The Juilliard Pre-College, Interlochen School for the Arts, University of Tennessee, University of North Carolina, The National Institute of Music in San Jose Costa Rica, The University of Costa Rica, and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In addition, he has presented a regular series of workshops for percussion students at New York University for several years. A long-standing relationship with The Music for All organization has seen John appear for many years as an evaluator and clinician for the Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, and in 2019 he served as the percussion clinician for the MFA Honor Orchestra of America.
John studied conducting with Anthony Maiello and began early percussion training with Jonathan Haas and William Richards. He received his bachelor's degree at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Greg Zuber and Daniel Druckman. He completed a Master's Degree at Temple University, where he studied with legendary percussionist Alan Abel. He is sponsored by Vic Firth Mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Percussion products, and Adams/Pearl Percussion.
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