INTRODUCTION

Richard Kennedy has earned a solid reputation as a discerning teacher of voice and lyric diction at the collegiate level. He also supports students as academic advisor, thesis advisor, and as mentor for numerous recitals and academic projects. His students have won numerous honors and awards, including featured performances earned through competitive selection.

Some of his former voice students have been accepted to prestigious institutions for advanced study (Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, University of Delaware, Indiana University, Curtis Institute of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Brigham Young University, the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS), Aspen Opera Theater Center, The Chautauqua School of Music). Some have pursued teaching careers (Lycoming College, Brewton-Parker College, Seton Hill College, Shippensburg University, William Paterson University), and some are pursuing performing careers (Pittsburgh Opera Center, Washington Opera, Savoy Opera Theatre, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera Delaware, Lancaster Opera Company, Junge Kammeroper Köln, Theater Nordhausen, Weston Playhouse, Aldeburgh Festival). Still others have been awarded music teaching positions in the public schools throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states at the high school, middle school, and elementary school levels.

Throughout his teaching career Professor Kennedy has been an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing on the chapter, regional, and national levels as clinician, performer, adjudicator, and officer.

Professor Kennedy is a member of the artist-faculty at the Bay View Music Festival in the summers as performer and as teacher of young professionals.

TEACHING HISTORY

Professor of Music (Voice), The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 1989-present.

Tenor-in-Residence, Bay View Music Festival, Bay View, Michigan, 2005-present.

Visiting Professor of Voice, Part-time, Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, fall 1996.

Fellowship, Boston University, teaching voice classes, Boston, Massachusetts, 1984-86.

Assistant Professor of Music (Voice), The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1976-84.

Associate Instructor in Music, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 1975-76.

SELECTED MASTER CLASSES

Hochschule für Musik Köln, Abteilung Wuppertal	Wuppertal, Germany
Saint Xavier University	Chicago, Illinois
Olivet Nazarene University	Bourbonnais, Illinois
Kent State University	Kent, Ohio
Biola University	La Mirada, California
Whittier College	Whittier, California
Dickinson College	Carlisle, Pennsylvania
University of Wyoming	Laramie, Wyoming
Longy School of Music	Cambridge, Massachusetts
University of Richmond	Richmond, Virginia
Lycoming College	Williamsport, Pennsylvania
The University of the Arts	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

STATEMENT ON TEACHING

At the age of twenty I knew that I wanted to be a voice teacher on the collegiate level. To that end I chose to earn a master's degree in voice pedagogy, rather than in voice performance. I continued my formal training through enrollment in the Doctor of Music degree program in voice pedagogy at Indiana University, successfully completing every pedagogy course offered there. Further training in pedagogy was accomplished at Boston University where I earned the Artist Diploma and at numerous workshops sponsored by colleges and universities and by various organizations, including the National Association of Teachers of Singing. While holding teaching positions at institutions of higher education, I continued to develop my performing career. This has led to solo performances in Asia, Europe, and North America.

My primary responsibility is to teach, and to teach well. Every activity listed within these pages relates in some way to this responsibility. I bring to my students what I learn from my own performances, as well as from live or recorded performances that I observe or listen to, including concerts, operas, auditions, competitions, and master classes. Of course, in performing I address the same issues that my students address, specifically, performance anxiety, warming up, stage deportment, breath management, memorization, reliability of technique, and expressiveness, for example. Furthermore, workshops, conferences, and conventions sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing on the local, regional, and national levels have supported my development as a teacher for thirty-two years. I have made a point of sustaining a strong presence in that important professional organization. The NATS student auditions have provided my students with the opportunity to prepare a "performance," to sing for qualified judges who submit written constructive criticism, to observe student singers from other institutions, and to attend specialized presentations on a variety of subjects within the field of singing.

I am passionate about my classroom teaching, as well as my studio teaching. In my opinion, the lyric diction courses are equal in importance to other music courses, such as those in pedagogy, literature, opera, theory, history, education, and conducting, for example. While our voice students work to develop an expertise in score reading and style, they must pursue proficiency and authority in pronunciation and enunciation of a variety of languages in which the classically-trained musician sings. In my opinion, errors of pronunciation are tantamount to errors in notes and rhythms. My development as a teacher of lyric diction has been accomplished through study with vocal music authorities in Paris and Colmar in France, in Florence, Italy, in Cologne, Germany, and in Vienna and Baden-bei-Wien in Austria.

As stated above, my performing nourishes my teaching. I promote myself on a regular basis to choral and orchestral conductors and to sponsoring organizations for solo recitals. It has been gratifying to perform in several regions of the United States, as well as in England, Germany and Austria, thereby enhancing Penn State's visibility and outreach mission. I have chosen to pursue concert opportunities exclusively due to the fact that the time commitment for rehearsals and performances is minimal, often just three or four days. Opera engagements require that the performer be in residence for rehearsal periods of at least three weeks, and usually longer. Of course, this would significantly impact my teaching schedule.

Service to the university also supports teaching. Most students are scarcely aware of that which must take place prior to, for example, the awarding of named scholarships, the inauguration of a new degree program, the revision of a curriculum, the hiring of new faculty, the awarding of promotion and tenure, the arrival of a guest artist or scholar, the hosting of a conference, the placement of advertisements, the distribution of recruitment materials, or a myriad of initiatives that come to realization on a regular basis. Yet, faculty involvement for the students' benefit is imperative in every aspect of university business, usually in the form of membership on committees, task forces, etc. Over the years, I have committed countless hours toward the integral business of running a university, all, in my view, for the purpose of providing an ideal environment for educating the Penn State student.

In summary, were I in a position of financial independence, I would still teach, perform, attend workshops and conferences, and serve musical organizations to some extent. Pursuit of excellence in these activities stems from passion. I am extremely fortunate that my career goals are being realized, and that I am able to offer my service to one of the nation's finest universities.