Fiona Kennedy’s work spans television, film, & radio broadcasting, live concerts, corporate voice-overs and performing at large international events. Her extensive experience has involved presenting the award-winning Record Breakers for the BBC and over 100 children’s programmes for Channel 4,Grampian Television and SMG. Other TV credits include co-hosting the New Year Show with Trevor MacDonald and presenting The Scottish Tourism Oscars.
During 2003 she hosted 52 episodes of Tartan TV, a dynamic, weekly magazine programme from Scotland to 10.4 million viewers across Canada and the U.S. This has taken her across the water to interview Sir Sean Connery, Kyle MacLachlin and Alan Cummings. On the home front in-depth interviews with artist Jack Vettriano, Ewan McGregor, Billy Connolly, Robin Williams, Eric Idle and Billy Boyd. She can now name drop for Scotland!
Her easy radio broadcasting style led her to co- presenting and singing Jools Holland style in a live music and chat show Live at the Lemon Tree, for BBC Scotland. This hugely popular Friday afternoon show ran for several years and was her Friday job! Documentaries for the Arts for Radio 2 include Peter Pan and the life of J.M. Barrie. Fiona really enjoys live work and has narrated Peter and the Wolf, The Snowman and Bond and Beyond with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra as well as presenting Children’s Classic Concerts with The Scottish Opera Orchestra.
Her stage roles include the West End Production of Alfie, playing lead opposite the late Adam Faith, plays at The Edinburgh Festival include Ane Satire of the Thrie Estaites, The Shepherd Beguiled and The Servant of Two Masters. She has even been in panto with Fern Britten at Southampton, Eartha Kitt in Manchester and Paul Nicholas all over the place!
Being born into a leading Scottish theatrical family, not unlike the Von Trapps (!). She is the daughter of Gaelic singers Calum Kennedy and Anne Gillies, both of whom were MOD Gold Medalists.
Fiona is well used to singing all over the world – the US & Canada, South Africa, Belgium, France, Ireland and Scandinavia. Her album Maiden Heaven was critically acclaimed and the melodious Scottish and contemporary songs prompted one critic to write Fiona’s haunting vocals leave a lasting spell. Her new album, Highland Angels will be released in Spring 2004. Musically she has guested on tour with Scots band Runrig, starred in Celtic Connections and sung to much acclaim on the internationally broadcast Transatlantic sessions.
In 2003 she was invited to sing for all the world’s Ambassadors at a NATO conference – it didn’t help the peace process! That same year Fiona was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by The University of Aberdeen in recognition of her work in the entertainment and charitable worlds.
As a recording artist Fiona has enjoyed critical acclaim and in 2017 she completed and released a new solo album, ‘Time to Fly’, writing and collaborating with award winning American singer songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman.
Fiona is Honorary President of social care charity VSA and remains actively involved in many of their fundraising events. She is also a Patron of The Archie Foundation, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Famine Relief for orphans in Malawi, Jazz Art UK and The Speakeasy Club.
She is a Burgess of the City of Aberdeen and a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. Fiona received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Aberdeen and was awarded an OBE in the 2014 Honours List for her charitable work and for music.