A versatile composer, much in demand in the UK and abroad, Kenneth Hesketh began composing whilst a chorister at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral; he completed his first orchestral work at the age of 13 and received his first formal commission at 19 for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Charles Groves.

After attending Tanglewood in 1995, where he studied with Henri Dutilleux, Hesketh completed a Masters degree in Composition at the University of Michigan, USA. A series of awards followed including a scholarship from the Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg at the behest of Sir Simon Rattle, a Foundation for Sport and the Arts award and the Constant and Kit Lambert Fellowship at the Royal College of Music, where he is professor in compositon and orchestration.

Hesketh was New Music Fellow at Kettle's Yard and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 2003-2005 where he curated a series of new music chamber concerts. The Foundation André Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud prize was awarded to Hesketh at the 2004 Concours International de Piano d'Orléans after a performance of Three Japanese Miniatures by pianist Daniel Becker.

He has received numerous national and international commissions from, amongst others, the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University, the Continuum Ensemble, a Faber Millennium Commission for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group premiered under Sir Simon Rattle, the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Vasilly Sinaisky, Hans Werner Henze and the Endymion Ensemble (in honour of Henze's 75th birthday), the Munich Biennale, the Michael Vyner Trust for the London Sinfonietta and The Opera Group.

Oliver Knussen was an early champion of Hesketh’s music, conducting works with both Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the London Sinfonietta. Netsuke was performed by Susanna Malkki in her opening concert as Music Director of Ensemble intercontemporain in Paris in 2006. Christoph Mueller has also championed Hesketh’s music, most recently giving the Swiss premiere of Detail from the Record with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Chur and the world premiere of Two Lapels and a Pocket with the Gottinger Symphonie Orchester.

Hesketh was a part of the hugely successful collaboration between the London Sinfonietta and WARP records. His transcription of Aphex Twin’s Polygon Window has been performed across Europe and has been released on CD. Other recent highlights include performances by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Sudwest Rundfunk (Baden-Baden), Psappha, the ASKO ensemble and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Chamber music is also an area where Hesketh is active, having had his music performed by many notable soloists including Nicholas Daniel, Hansjorg Schellenberger, Sarah Leonard, Rodney Clarke, Karl Lutchmayer, Sarah Nichols and Daniel Becker.

In September 2007, Hesketh took up the position of Composer in the House with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. The scheme, devised by the Royal Philharmonic Society in partnership with the PRS Foundation, was designed to allow composers the time and space to create new work, and to take their place at the heart of the orchestral community. Hesketh's tenure with the RLPO saw the creation of works for many of the instrumental groups within the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, from the orchestra and contemporary music ensemble (Ensemble 10/10, with whom Hesketh already has a thriving relationship) to youth ensembles, chamber groups and choirs. He also took part in teaching and outreach projects in Liverpool and Manchester during the two years.

He was a resident tutor at the "ICon Arts festival" in Romania in August 2009 where he lectured on his own music and worked with international composition students and musicologists. Future recordings include 'Point Forms' performed by composer-clarinetist Mark Simpson for bassett clarinet and the release of Notte Oscura for piano  performed by Peter O'Hagan. Current projects include an orchestral song cycle for the Welsh Baritone Jeremy Huw Williams and preparation for a new opera after a short story by Friedrich Dürrenmatt.