NASHVILLE-BORN PIANIST NINA KENNEDY RETURNS FOR CONCERT

As part of the Jubilee Day celebrations at Fisk University next month, pianist Nina Kennedy will be performing in the Jubilee Heritage Award Concert at Fisk Memorial Chapel on Saturday October 5th at 7:00 pm. Rock and roll icon Little Richard is one of the honorees, as well as gospel personality Dr. Bobby Jones and hit maker Eddie "ET" Thomas.

Kennedy's father Matthew Kennedy was on the piano faculty at Fisk, and also served as director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers from 1957 to 1986 (intermittently). Her mother Anne Gamble was also a member of the piano faculty and served as piano accompanist for the group.

Nina Kennedy was presented in her first complete solo piano recital in Nashville at age nine. She made her debut as piano soloist with the Nashville Symphony at age thirteen in a performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue before an audience of over 4,000. After graduating from McGavock High School, she left Nashville to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia as one of three accepted from a pool of seventy-two pianists who auditioned. She later went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York where she received a master's degree in piano performance and orchestral conducting.

The New York Times praised Kennedy's recital debut at Lincoln Center calling her "A fine pianist." She went on to appear in recital and as piano soloist with orchestras worldwide.

In 2007 Kennedy directed and produced the award-winning documentary film titled Matthew Kennedy: One Man's Journey, which had its world-premiere at the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF). She is currently the host of The Noshing with Nina Show, which is produced for Manhattan Cable Television and is broadcast nationally. She just returned from filming a music video at the Bösendorfer Salon in Vienna, Austria produced for the Classic Arts Showcase. While in Nashville, Kennedy will conduct a master class for the members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers on her father's arrangement of the spiritual "Steal Away." Kennedy and current director Paul Kwami will sit down for a taped interview.