November 1, 2025
Violinist Alexi Kenney plays/directs Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
Violinist Alexi Kenney plays/directs Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, November 20–22. He returns in February to curate a SoundBox program.
You’re originally from the Bay Area and as a student you played with the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra. How do you think this shaped your development as an artist?
The YO was a completely life-changing experience for me. Unlike some other youth orchestras, the YO treated us like real professionals, right down to the rigorous entrance auditions, sectionals with musicians from the San Francisco Symphony, and weekly rehearsals on stage at Davies Hall. I forged many friendships there that I still keep to this day—not to mention the great number of people from the YO who ended up pursuing music as a career, and who I still run into in my travels. We were also offered tickets to the weekend Symphony concerts whenever we wanted them, which I took advantage of almost every week. Hearing and meeting some legendary soloists and getting to know all that orchestral repertoire played by a world class orchestra in my backyard was a huge inspiration for me to pursue a life in music. It’s a total dream come true to return to the Davies Symphony Hall stage to play with the orchestra I grew up with.
Story continues below...
You’re originally from the Bay Area and as a student you played with the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra. How do you think this shaped your development as an artist?
The YO was a completely life-changing experience for me. Unlike some other youth orchestras, the YO treated us like real professionals, right down to the rigorous entrance auditions, sectionals with musicians from the San Francisco Symphony, and weekly rehearsals on stage at Davies Hall. I forged many friendships there that I still keep to this day—not to mention the great number of people from the YO who ended up pursuing music as a career, and who I still run into in my travels. We were also offered tickets to the weekend Symphony concerts whenever we wanted them, which I took advantage of almost every week. Hearing and meeting some legendary soloists and getting to know all that orchestral repertoire played by a world class orchestra in my backyard was a huge inspiration for me to pursue a life in music. It’s a total dream come true to return to the Davies Symphony Hall stage to play with the orchestra I grew up with.
Story continues below...
What are some of your interests outside of music and how do they influence your creativity and artistic expression?
I love many different forms of art: sculpture, painting, architecture, and dance, to name a few. I’ve always thought of playing music as a multisensory tactile act, and the thought of putting brush to canvas or sculpting a vessel out of clay inspires me to envision my own medium in that way. There is texture, color, and density in music, and I find that when I’m able to access that more holistic way of thinking, my imagination is free to run wild and I’m able to be that much more inspired. I am most moved by art that feels truly embodied and full of spirit, and so I’m always seeking to be more and more aware of and intentional with my musical feelings in order to achieve ultimate freedom of possibility and enjoyment on stage.
Violinist Alexi Kenney plays/directs Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, November 20–22. He returns in February to curate a SoundBox program.
I love many different forms of art: sculpture, painting, architecture, and dance, to name a few. I’ve always thought of playing music as a multisensory tactile act, and the thought of putting brush to canvas or sculpting a vessel out of clay inspires me to envision my own medium in that way. There is texture, color, and density in music, and I find that when I’m able to access that more holistic way of thinking, my imagination is free to run wild and I’m able to be that much more inspired. I am most moved by art that feels truly embodied and full of spirit, and so I’m always seeking to be more and more aware of and intentional with my musical feelings in order to achieve ultimate freedom of possibility and enjoyment on stage.
Violinist Alexi Kenney plays/directs Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, November 20–22. He returns in February to curate a SoundBox program.
