Kenneth Hesketh (born 20 July 1968)[1] is a British composer of contemporary classical music in numerous genres including dance, orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo.

Several early works have their origins in medieval symbolism and iconography, notably three pieces for chamber ensemble: Theatrum (1996), Torturous Instruments (1997-8, after Hieronymous Bosch's depiction of Hell from The Garden of Earthly Delights), and The Circling Canopy of Night (1999).

[11] Including such works as Theatre of Attractions (2007) and Wunderkammer[konzert] (2008), hallmarks of his more recent style show an interest in what the composer describes as 'unreliable machines': short bursts of mechanistic material that repeat, are transformed but ultimately burn themselves out.

[12] As an outgrowth of this, additional concepts of entropy (in humanistic terms),[13] ageing, death, and failure in physical systems have expanded this interest in works such as Knotted Tongues (2012), Of Time and Disillusionment (2016), and In Ictu Occuli (2017).

[14] This fascination with entropy, mutation and existentialism coexists with a notable interest in formal design based on the influence of 'pathways' (labyrinths and mazes) and the paradoxical notion of clarity through density.

He was awarded The Fondation André Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud prize at the 2004 Concours international de piano d'Orléans after a performance of his Three Japanese Miniatures by pianist Daniel Becker.

"[3] Hesketh has also written extensively for pianist Clare Hammond including the piano concerto Uncoiling the River which was nominated for an Ivor Composer Award in 2019.

Conductors include Sir Simon Rattle, Oliver Knussen, Martyn Brabbins, Patrick Bailey, Philip Headlam, Christoph-Mathias Mueller, Vassily Sinaisky and Vasily Petrenko.