User:Johngerardglackin/sandbox

Vincent Kennedy http://www.cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=73 is an Irish composer who was born in Dublin. He studied trumpet at CBS Westland Row who joined the irish Youth Orchestra aged 11 and won the under eighteen Feis Ceoil age 12 and over eighteen competition in the Feis Ceoil aged 14. He won many prizes and performed with many ensembles before establishing himself as a composer. He is a member of the Association of Irish Composers and a founding member of the Irish Film and Television Academy. He has written for orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal combinations. His music has been performed by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, Antipodes Ensemble, Concorde, the Strands Ensemble, the Ottoni Ensemble, Cantando, the Rathfarnham Concert Band Society, Band of An Garda Siochana, the combined bands of the Irish Army, the Donegal Youth Orchestra, the combined Wexford Youth Orchestras and symphonic wind ensembles, brass and pipe bands throughout Ireland, Europe, USA and Canada.

Recent projects include “The Happy Prince” (2012), the musical “The Heart of Truth” (2012), “The Meath Chronicles” (2012), “The Kilcormac Cantata” (2011), “Where the North Wind Blows” (2011), “Dublin – Overture to My City” (2009 revised 2011), and “Dreams” (2009) for Solo Violin and Orchestra which toured USA in 2009 with Cora Venus Lunny as soloist and the DPO. He has been commissioned by RTÉ, Donegal County Council, Wexford County Council, Meath County Council and Offaly County Council under the per cent for Arts Scheme and by the Peace II and Peace III initiatives. His music “Soliloquy and March” won the RTÉ music prize for music to celebrate the life of the broadcaster Michael O’Hehir.

Other works of recent years "The Hook - A Place and A People"(2005), "The Winds of Change" (2007) and "What's a Heaven For?"(2006) are being regularly performed in whole or in part. "What's a Heaven For?"(2006) was performed at the 2007 WASBE conference and has been a test piece for the National Band Championships. Vincent Kennedy is an accomplished conductor. He made his North American conducting debut in April 2008 conducting his works in San Francisco and Walnut Creek California.