Briggs Kennedy (born 1984) is an internationally performed and award-winning composer based in Phoenix, Arizona. They have a Masters of Music Composition from Arizona State University where they studied with Roshanne Etezady, Rodney Rogers, and Glenn Hackbarth. Briggs has also studied with Gabriella Lena Frank, Forest Pierce, Christopher Theofanidis, Scott McAllister, Paul Moravec, Ken Ueno, and Marilyn Shrude.
Briggs’ works have been heard at the Waterloo Regional Contemporary Music Sessions (Canada), Toronto Creative Music Lab (Canada), 2016 and 2018 Cabrillo Festivals, Rhymes with Opera Chamber Music Workshop, Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, 2012 and 2013 soundSCAPE Festivals, Cortana Sessions for New Music, highSCORE festival, UNK New Music Festival, Carlsbad Music Festival, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival (as part of Composing in the Wilderness), and the Downtown Chamber Series. Their works have been performed by the Driftwood Quintet, Bergamot String Quartet, Burn City String Quartet, Isabelle O’Connell, Robin Meiksins, Robert Simonds, among others. Several of their works have been heard on Pushing the Envelope (WHUS).
Briggs is the winner of the AZ Centennial Composer Competition (Judges’ Award, 2012) and the 2009 winner of the Cambridge Chamber Singers’ Annual Choral Composition Competition.
As a flute player, Briggs specializes in improvisational works and performs with bands and ensembles in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, they perform with the OME Staff Ensemble and with the Composers Improvisors Big Band (CIBB) at Paradise Valley Community College.
They founded Oh My Ears, a new music presenting organization, in 2014, and currently serve as Co-Director of Institutional Advancement. Briggs also enjoys spending time with their two rescue dogs, Lore (named after Laurie Anderson) and Wilson.