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Kennedy Davenport, Young Artist Winner, Joins the LSO This Saturday, March 7

Davenport, a senior at Harrison School for the Arts, is the recipient of a $3,000 scholarship in honor of Beth Mason.

by Anna Toms March 7, 2026

Kennedy Davenport, a senior at Harrison School for the Arts, is the 2026 LSO Young Artist Competition winner. | Facebook

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Kennedy Davenport, a senior at Harrison School for the Arts, will join the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra on stage this Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. for “Rhapsody and Radiance,” part of the Anne MacGregor Jenkins Memorial Series.

Davenport is this year’s Lakeland Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition winner and recipient of a $3,000 scholarship from the Beth Mason Young Artist Endowment Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation.

Saturday’s performance, conducted by interim music director, Jason Thomas Aylward, will include Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italien” and “Capriccio Espagnol” by fellow Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Steinway Artist, Young-Ah Tak will also join the symphony to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.”

An extraordinary young woman

During her time at Harrison, Davenport honed her vocal ability as she developed technique, artistry, and stage presence. She earned multiple awards and honors, including several from the Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Schmidt Vocal Competitions.

While Davenport has a passion for singing and performing, she also excels offstage.

An outstanding pitcher, Davenport played four years of varsity softball with Lakeland High School, committing to play at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville and earning a partial scholarship.

Kennedy Davenport, a senior at Harrison School for the Arts, has committed to play softball at Edward Waters University. | Facebook

She also completed over 10,000 volunteer service hours, coaching young softball players and mentoring with Girls Inc. of Lakeland. In 2025, Davenport was part of a group that traveled to Tallahassee to meet with state representatives and legislative aides to advocate for funding for Girls Inc.’s Prodigy Cultural Arts Program.

Amy Benningfield, Davenport’s counselor at Harrison, describes her as an extraordinary young woman.

“Kennedy’s resilience and drive are shaped by personal experience,” Benningfield wrote in a recommendation letter. “After losing her father at age five, she grew up watching her mother raise her and her brothers with strength and determination. Kennedy embodies that same strength. She approaches every challenge with maturity, perspective, and a commitment to excellence. She continuously strives to go above and beyond in everything she does.”