Sean Kennard

Assistant Professor of Piano

Sean Kennard has won top prizes in numerous international competitions and has performed recitals, chamber music, and as soloist with orchestras around the world. His recordings have been released by Naxos, Delos, and Centaur. He joined Stetson's faculty as coordinator of the piano division in 2017.

  • Doctor of Musical Arts, Yale University
  • Master of Music, Juilliard School
  • Professional Studies Diploma, Mannes College (The New School)
  • Bachelor of Music, Curtis Institute of Music

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Sean Kennard

Biography

"America still produces superb pianists, and one is Sean Kennard," proclaimed Limelight Magazine in their rave review of Kennard's debut album. His "moving and musically satisfying [The Strad]" performances and recordings have been acclaimed all over the world for their "exceptional agility, nuance and power [Gramophone]," "powerful and involved music making [The Washington Post]," and "penetrating sense of structure...infectious sense of fun...full of life and sparkle [Fanfare]." Renowned pianist Richard Goode described Kennard as "an extraordinary pianist, one of the most gifted I have ever heard...a most natural and unaffected performer, who conveys a calm authority even while whipping up a storm," while American Record Guide has praised his "perfect blend of lyricism and romantic passion, huge romantic sound, and bold melodic vision."

Sean Kennard's accolades include top prizes and audience choice awards in numerous competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth (Belgium), The Vendome Prize (Portugal), Sendai International (Japan), Viña del Mar International (Chile), Hilton Head International (USA), National Chopin (USA) and others. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras around the world including the Prague Radio Symphony, Japan's NHK Chamber Orchestra, Osaka Symphony, and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, the National Orchestra of Belgium, Chamber Orchestra of Frankfurt, Morocco Philharmonic, Chile Symphony, Uruguay's Montevideo Philharmonic and many more. Pianist of Trio Barclay, ensemble-in-residence of Irvine Barclay Theater, he also performs solo and chamber recitals throughout Asia, Europe, South America and the United States. His discography includes highly acclaimed solo and chamber music releases on Naxos, Delos, and Centaur.

Dr. Sean Kennard, a Steinway artist, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he won the institution's prestigious Sergei Rachmaninoff Award, the Juilliard School, Mannes College, and Yale University having studied with teachers including Boris Berman, Richard Goode, Enrique Graf, Jerome Lowenthal, and Robert McDonald. He was named a Harvey Fellow of the Mustard Seed Foundation in 2014, and in 2017 joined the faculty of Stetson University as coordinator of the piano division in the School of Music. To hear Sean's recordings and for more info about his recent projects and upcoming performances, please visit his website. Watch Sean's videos on his official YouTube channel and connect with him on Instagram @seankennardpiano .

More About Sean Kennard

Areas of Expertise

  • Piano performance 

Course Sampling

  • Piano Performance
  • Piano Literature
  • Keyboard Pedagogy

  • Chaz Underriner Meditations (Edition Wandelweiser Records, EWR 2124, 2021). CD.
  • Canteloube: L'arada / Chants de France (Centaur Records, CRC 3804, 2021). CD.
  • Rachmaninoff & Barber: Cellos Sonatas (Delos, DE 3574, 2020). CD.
  • American Classics: Barber and Copland (Delos, DE 3554, 2018). CD.
  • Domenico Scarlatti, Complete Keyboard Sonatas Vol. 17 (Naxos, 8.573708, 2017). CD.
  • Sean Kennard: Chopin, Scarlatti, Stravinsky (Cougar Classics, 2011). CD.
  • Obras de Eduardo Gilardoni (Perro Andaluz Ediciones, 2010). CD.