Born March 22, 1983, Nicholas Andrew Kenney fell in love with the horn in the 11th grade while performing the transcription of the finale from Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony as a member of the Charlotte Youth Wind Ensemble. In February of his senior year, he decided to audition for music school to pursue a career as a hornist after nearly quitting music altogether in favor of a career in nuclear energy with the U.S. Navy. After high school he earned the Bachelor of Music from Western Carolina University and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Dr. Kenney has performed in venues around the globe, including the Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia, beautiful Baroque and Renaissance Era cathedrals in rural Italy, the historic Waterford Opera House in Waterford, Ireland and New York’s famed Carnegie Hall (twice). Dr. Kenney is an award-winning soloist, having won both North Carolina and Nebraska’s MTNA competitions twice, the 2006 Western Carolina University Concerto Competition, and in 2009, he was named a finalist in the University Division of International Horn Competition of America. He has performed as soloist with the Duke University Symphony Orchestra, the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra, the Savannah (GA) Philharmonic Orchestra, the Southeast Missouri State University Choir, the Nebraska All-State Choir, and the Southeast Missouri State University Wind Symphony. He has presented recitals at the University of Michoacán San Nicolas de Hidalgo in Morelia, Mexico, the University of Virginia, Alabama State University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Middle Tennessee State University, Oklahoma State University, Southeast Missouri State University, and Western Carolina University.

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At Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Kenney regularly performs with the Water Street Brass Works, a Brass Trio with his Southeast faculty colleagues Dr. Marty Reynolds (Trombone) and Dr. Kevin Tague (Trumpet). He is currently a section member of the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra and he has performed with the South Dakota Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Fayetteville Symphony, Hendersonville Symphony, Carolina Pops Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Long Bay Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Paducah Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony, and the Savannah Philharmonic.

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Dr. Kenney has been extremely active as a teacher and clinician, presenting master classes in Saarburg, Germany, Guardiagrele, Italy, Morelia, Mexico, North Carolina, Nebraska, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, Arkansas, and Virginia. He has served as Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Adjunct Professor of horn at UNC-Pembroke and Concordia University, and he is currently the Associate Professor of horn at Southeast Missouri State University where he has taught applied horn and athletic bands since the Fall of 2014. Prior to his appointment at SEMO he was the Director of Instrumental Studies at Cresset Christian Academy in Durham, NC.

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Dr. Kenney performs on a handmade double Horn by Jacob Medlin and Houser mouthpieces. He currently lives in Jackson, Missouri, with his wife Lindsay, and their daughter Amelia.