FINAL MAG
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
SPRING 2017 THE TROMBONIST<br />
BY JANE SALMON<br />
JOHN<br />
KENNY<br />
– ITA LIFETIME<br />
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD<br />
The extraordinary John Kenny has just become<br />
the second British trombone player to be awarded<br />
the International Trombone Association’s Lifetime<br />
Achievement Award – an award reserved for<br />
those who have distinguished themselves by their<br />
contributions to the trombone profession over a<br />
long career.<br />
So far, John has enjoyed a life that encompasses<br />
almost every corner of the arts imaginable.<br />
He is celebrated worldwide for his inspirational<br />
work as a soloist, chamber artist, composer,<br />
researcher and teacher.<br />
John: “The trombone has been the most<br />
wonderful springboard into every area that I<br />
have worked in.<br />
When I was studying as a trombone player,<br />
I was studying to be a trombone player.<br />
I discovered that the artistic opportunities on<br />
offer were just not exciting enough for me.<br />
I always felt that I needed to do other things,<br />
but in actual fact, finding my frustrations with<br />
the trombone was the best thing that could have<br />
happened to me.”<br />
John has a long relationship with the discovery<br />
and research of ancient instruments and his<br />
exploration of the trombone family reaches<br />
back as far as anyone can imagine. In 1993<br />
John became the first person for 2000 years to<br />
sound a Carnyx – the great war horn. This was a<br />
reconstruction that ended up the flagship project<br />
for the new discipline of Music Archeology and<br />
has since led to the discovery and replication<br />
of ancient instruments from various sites<br />
across Europe. Inspired by this work, John<br />
went on to found Carynx and Co. who exists to<br />
combine music archaeology and the world of<br />
contemporary music.<br />
The same company now acts as a parent<br />
organization to ensembles including the<br />
trombone trio Pandora’s Box, which features<br />
Emily White, Miguel Tantos and John Kenny.<br />
The trio are frequently joined by Swedish<br />
trumpet player and composer, Törbjorn<br />
Hultmark on soprano trombone. HeadSpace<br />
Ensemble are supported too. This very special<br />
quartet brings John and Törbjorn’s conventional<br />
brass playing together with two extraordinary<br />
electronic instruments; the Head=Space and Hi-<br />
Note. This pair of instruments was designed for<br />
Clarence Adoo MBE; a former trumpeter who<br />
was involved in a devastating road accident that<br />
left The great drive and creativity behind this<br />
collection of ensembles are reflective of John’s<br />
passion to pursue his own ideas.<br />
“I always wanted to somehow make things<br />
happen, it’s always very much been part of my<br />
mentality. By the time I left the Royal Academy<br />
of Music, I already knew that I really needed<br />
and wanted to travel. I wanted to meet and<br />
respond to people who had exciting things to say.<br />
I suppose I set about trying to finding those<br />
people and finding out whether I could be a part<br />
of what they were doing. A lot of that actually<br />
meant hitchhiking into Europe; just going to see<br />
people. Listening. Watching, experiencing.<br />
That’s carried on; if you don’t search, you don’t<br />
discover.”<br />
18