John Kilkenny, praised as a “particularly fine timpanist” by the Washington Post, enjoys a career encompassing academia, performance, and arts leadership.
John recently completed sixteen years as Director of Percussion Studies at George Mason University. Ensembles under his direction have appeared at national and international conferences, including VMEA, NYSSMA, The Western International Band Conference, The College Music Society National Conference , and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
When John Kilkenny assumed the role of Artistic and Executive Director of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in 2018, he brought a transformative vision. Under his guidance, the festival achieved unprecedented artistic and financial success, with significant increases in enrollment, earned revenue, and annual giving. His expanded partnerships with numerous DEI pathway programs and his innovative leadership approach ushered in a new era of administrative and artistic growth, with a 25% increase in enrollment, new programs for Opera and Composition, a doubling of annual giving, and multiple endowment gifts.
His extensive performance background includes regular appearances with symphony orchestras chamber groups, and concerto performances around the globe.
He began his tenure as Executive Director with the Grammy Award-winning New York Youth Symphony in March 2024.
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