Kenneth Amis facts for kids

Kenneth Amis, born in 1970, is a talented tuba player and composer from Bermuda. He is famous for playing with a group called the Empire Brass. He also helps lead the MIT Wind Ensemble, a music group he has been part of since it started in 1999. Since 2005, Mr. Amis has been an Affiliated Artist at MIT.

He grew up in Bermuda. He started studying at Boston University when he was only 16 years old. Later, he earned a special degree called a master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Mr. Amis also held an important position at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Today, he teaches at Lynn University.

Kenneth Amis is known for being the first person to arrange Bach's famous music piece, Art of Fugue, for a wind ensemble. This means he changed the music so it could be played by many different wind instruments. He arranged all the fugues and canons from the original work.

He lives in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Mr. Amis was the main person in charge of a book called The Brass Player's Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance. He also wrote a chapter in this book.

Amazing Performances

At many concerts with the Empire Brass, Kenneth Amis does something special. He plays a piano solo from a Mozart song on his tuba! It's from the third part of Mozart's Sonata in A. Besides playing with the Empire Brass, Mr. Amis has performed the tuba for other groups, including:

• English Chamber Orchestra
• Tanglewood Festival Orchestra
• New World Symphony Orchestra
• Palm Beach Opera Orchestra

Music He Has Written

Kenneth Amis wrote his first published music piece, A Suite for Bass Tuba, when he was just fifteen years old. Many groups have asked him to write music for them. Some of these groups include:

• Belmont High School Band
• The Massachusetts Instrumental Conductors Association
• New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble
• University of Scranton
• College Band Directors National Association
• Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston
• Boston Classical Orchestra
• MIT Wind Ensemble

List of His Compositions

• Preludes for French Horn, No. 1-5 by Kenneth Amis
• Preludes for Trombone, No. 1-5 by Kenneth Amis

Where He Teaches

Mr. Amis shares his musical knowledge by teaching at several schools. He is on the faculty at:

• Longy School of Music
• Boston Conservatory
• Boston University
• New England Conservatory
• Lynn University

Awards and Recognition

Kenneth Amis has received awards for his musical talents. In 2003, he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the New England Conservatory of Music.

More About Kenneth Amis

• Kenneth Amis's Official Website: http://www.kennethamis.com
• Amis Musical Circle