Kenneth Thompkins is currently the Associate Professor of Trombone at Michigan State University. He was Principal Trombone of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 2024. Prior to this appointment he held positions in the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Florida Orchestra.

Thompkins enjoys working with young musicians and has performed masterclasses and recitals at many universities including Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and Eastman School of Music. He has also been on faculty at the National Orchestral Institute, National Youth Orchestra, and Taipei Music Festival and Academy. In 2017 Thompkins recorded Sonatas, Songs and Spirituals featuring the music of Alec Wilder, William Grant Still, and Philip Wharton. Sonatas, Songs and Spirituals was the winner of The American Prize in Instrumental Performance. His latest recording, Compelling Portraits, features the compositions of contemporary Black composers. He has performed as a soloist with Chineke! and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.