Nocturnal Stasis is the second movement of my orchestra triptych, From the Ground Up", written in 2010. It captures the stillness of night, and the mysteriousness of the dark. The work is performed by the Olympia Youth Orchestra, Fung Ho, conducting the 2011 premiere.

"Nocturnal Stasis", from  the orchestral triptych, "From the Ground Up".

Monument Li Dwerja

Opaque Silence: Flash (Symbia III) for solo violin, performed by Lusine Harutyunyan, CSULA, February 25, 2014.

Opaque Silence: Flash

Lamentations: Hayasdan, for alto and soprano saxophones and piano was originally written for alto saxophone and marimba. This recent arrangement was premiered by William Street, saxophones and Roger Admiral, piano in a series of concerts in Edmonton, San Jose and Los Angeles. Here is the Los Angeles performance from October, 2013. Hayasdan is the Armenian word for "Armenia".

Lamentations: Hayasdan

This recording of my 1995 work for solo saxophone by Canadian saxophonist Laura Kerslake. 

Smoking Mirrors (Symbia II)

Three Pieces for String Quartet 1

Three Pieces for String Quartet 2

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, here is my "Tongva Greeting: Mambo 1" from my orchestral work "From the Ground Up" (digital version). The work captures what I believe  was the tension and nervous anticipation of the first meeting of our regional indigenous people, the Tongva, and the first Europeans. The story goes that canoes from the Tongva approached Juan Cabrillo's ships in 1542 near Catalina Island.

FGU Tongva Greeting: Mambo 1

The French group TM+ and director Laurent Cuniot premiere this work for mixed sextet.

Chaconne Part 1 TM+

Composer John M. Kennedy produces an eclectic range of work from mixed ensemble and solo pieces to multi-media and theatrical works, that draws upon his roots as a Rock and Jazz bassist. Recent compositional highlights include the premieres of  “Syrinx: Requires I, D.M.” for solo double bass (2020), composer as bassist, “Chaconne-Part 1” for mixed sextet by the French group TM+ (2019), and “Meditation” and “Fury” for solo ‘cello by Maksim Velichkin (2019). In Europe his work has been premiered and performed at World Saxophone Congresses in Scotland and Zagreb; in Malta by members of the Malta Philharmonic and the Armed Forces Malta Band; Interensemble of Padova, Italy; the Salzburg Mozarteum; and Asian new music festivals in Bangkok, Kwang-ju and Daegu. As a double bassist he premiered William Roper’s “New-Opened Eyes-1965” memorializing the Watts Riots in February 2019, and in June 2019 premiered Roper’s entire graphic score suite,  "Experience > Dream > Memory - Slivers of Time”. Early recognition for his work includes the Charles Ives Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and a Young Composer Award from ASCAP. His work has been recognized by Meet the Composer (Now New Music USA), ASCAP Plus Awards and Subito grants from the American Composers Forum, Los Angeles. A faculty member of California State University, Los Angeles since 1994, he received an Outstanding Professor Award in 2013.  At the University of Michigan, he studied music composition with Leslie Bassett and William Albright, and double bass with Lawrence Hurst and Stuart Sankey.

Popular tracks by johnmkennedy