Researching Andrew Kennedy

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Kennedy moved with his parents to a farm on the Indian reserve near Lafayette, Indiana. He soon afterward moved to Connersville, Indiana, where he became a blacksmith's apprentice. Kennedy attended the common schools and later studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1833 and commenced practice in Connersville. Kennedy then moved to Muncie (then Muncytown or Muncietown), Indiana, in 1834 and continued the practice of law. He served as member of the Indiana House of Representatives in 1835 and served in the Indiana Senate in 1838.

Kennedy was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, and Twenty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1847). He served as Democratic caucus nominee for United States Senator in 1847. He was stricken with smallpox on the eve of the legislative joint convention and died in Indianapolis, Indiana, December 31, 1847. He was interred in Greenlawn Cemetery. He was reinterred in Beech Grove Cemetery, Muncie, Indiana.

He won 1st prize at the Jackdaws Vocal Award in 1999 (now called the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards). He sang for Bampton Classical Opera in 2002. From 2005–2007 he was a member of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme. In 2005, he won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Rosenblatt Recital Prize. He is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award winner and won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artists’ Award in 2006.

Andrew has sung principal roles in major opera houses of the world including La Scala, Milan, Royal Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Houston Grand Opera, Oper Frankfurt, L'Opéra Comique in Paris, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera de Lyon. He had an international concert career and worked with some of the world's principal orchestras with conductors such as John Eliot Gardiner, Kazushi Ono, Sir Colin Davis, Gianandrea Noseda, Esa Pekka Salonen, Sir Mark Elder, Sir Roger Norrington, Andris Nelsons and Daniele Gatti. Appearances at the BBC Proms include Finzi Intimations of Immortality (BBCSO/Daniel); Howells Hymnus Paradisi (BBCSO/Brabbins); a live televised performance of Sullivan The Yeomen of the Guard (BBC Concert Orchestra/Jane Glover) and Elgar The Spirit of England at the 2007 Last Night of the BBC Proms with Jiří Bělohlávek.

In September 2019 he took up appointment as Director of Music at Uppingham School. According to his website, he is still available for short-term concert work.

He is married to Anna Kennedy, a psychotherapist specialising in counselling children and adolescents based in Rutland.

He was born in Mégantic County, the son of Daniel Kennedy and Mary Sheridan, and was educated there and in Worcester, Massachusetts. Kennedy returned to Canada East during the American Civil War, settling in Saint-Ferdinand. He was involved in construction in Texas, Kansas, British Columbia and Alberta. Kennedy was elected to the Quebec assembly in an 1876 by-election held after George Irvine resigned his seat. He was defeated by Irvine when he ran for reelection in 1878. In 1888, Kennedy married Marie Cloutier. He died in Saint-Ferdinand at the age of 62.