Henry Kennedy
(c) Ben Pembery

British-Canadian conductor Henry Kennedy, 29, has recently been appointed Assistant Conductor of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. He starts with the Sommer Tour 2026 and conducts concerts of the GMJO during the residency at the Teatro Verdi Pordenone and in the regione, the organization says.

In this position, Kennedy follows Chris Blex, winner of the 2025 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award of the Salzburg Festival. He is currently serving a two-year appointment as the inaugural Resident Conductor of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) in Ottawa; has served as Resident Conductor for Poland’s Wrocław Opera.