Kenton Willem (A.K.A. Kenni) is a queer, non-binary multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger from Nanaimo, B.C. They aim to create music that moves listeners and propels the world forward through vulnerability. With absolute pitch and a lifelong habit of deep listening, Kenton instinctively absorbs sound, letting everything they hear to shape their own music.

They have performed in settings ranging from duos to full big bands, earning recognition including a DownBeat Student Music Award and a full-tuition Jimmy Lyons Scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where they completed a dual degree in performance and jazz composition, along with a minor in conducting.

Kenton spends most of their time teaching piano, saxophone, voice, and flute through Kenton’s Lesson Studio, and directing the AVIVA Chorus in Nanaimo, B.C. They also perform regularly on piano at the 1948 Bar and Bistro in Ladysmith (Thursday evenings).

Alongside teaching and directly, they are currently crafting their debut album of all-original songs, exploring resilience, self-discovery, and the pursuit of freedom in a world that resists difference. Rooted in queer experience but widely resonant, their music is for anyone who has felt like an outsider, an underdog, someone learning how to claim space without apology, or someone wrestling with self-acceptance, and even the folks who don’t understand 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences but are open to listening and learning.