Kenna Elpers Biography
Kenna Elpers is an American country singer-songwriter from Cynthiana, Indiana, who gained national attention as a contestant on Season 30 of NBC’s The Voice. She earned two chair turns with her performance of Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse” before choosing country singer Riley Green as her coach.
Elpers was already an experienced performer before appearing on The Voice. She began performing professionally as a young teenager, moved to Nashville at 18, studied music business at Middle Tennessee State University and released original music as an independent artist. Her journey also includes recovering from a vocal problem that temporarily took away the voice she had spent years developing.
Who Is Kenna Elpers?
Kenna Elpers is a country singer, songwriter and musician originally from the small community of Cynthiana in Southern Indiana. She has wanted to become a country singer since she was a child and began turning that ambition into a career before she was old enough to drive herself to performances.
By 13, Elpers was performing country covers and original songs at venues around the Evansville area. She eventually expanded beyond local shows, performing at major venues and sharing stages with established country artists before moving to Nashville to pursue music professionally.
Her years of performing gave her considerably more experience than The Voice viewers might assume from seeing a 23-year-old contestant for the first time.
Kenna Elpers Age
Elpers was 23 years old when she competed on The Voice Season 30 in 2026.
Where Is Kenna Elpers From?
Elpers is from Cynthiana, Indiana, a small community in Posey County. She grew up in Southern Indiana with her parents and brothers before eventually moving to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue country music.
Her hometown remains closely connected to her career. Local venues provided some of her earliest performance opportunities, while her parents regularly traveled with her to shows across the Midwest as she developed as a singer.
High School
Kenna Elpers attended North Posey Senior High School in Indiana and graduated in 2021.
Music was already a major part of her life throughout high school. She had begun performing professionally at 13 and continued playing shows while completing her education. Her performances expanded from local restaurants and venues to larger stages as she gained experience.
Elpers has also performed the National Anthem at major venues including Lucas Oil Stadium and what was then Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
College and Move to Nashville
After graduating from North Posey Senior High School in 2021, Elpers moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at 18 to continue pursuing a professional career in country music.
She studied music business at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The choice allowed her to learn about the business side of the industry while remaining close to Nashville’s songwriting and live-music community.
Moving to Tennessee also gave Elpers more opportunities to perform, network and develop as an independent singer-songwriter. She has since played venues including Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe and The Listening Room.
Starting Her Music Career at 12
Elpers began gaining live-performance experience unusually early. When she was about 12, her cousin Andrea Wirth, one half of acoustic duo The Honey Vines, invited her to join weekly performances at Lamasco Bar & Grill in Evansville.
By 13, Kenna was booking solo performances. She played country covers and original music at local venues and also opened for country singer Josh Turner at Lincoln Amphitheatre.
Those early performances helped turn a childhood ambition into practical experience on stage.
Kenna Elpers Songs and Music Career
Kenna has built an independent recording career alongside her live performances. She released her first EP in 2018 and has continued releasing original songs on major streaming platforms.
Her releases include songs such as “New Me,” “Stand on My Toes,” “Whiskey’d Me Away,” “Head Out Heart” and “Saturday Night Season.” Her music combines country influences with elements of rock, matching the style she developed through years of performing around Indiana and Nashville.
Elpers has also shared stages with artists including Maddie & Tae, Dylan Scott, Craig Campbell, Jameson Rodgers, Matt Stell and Riley Green.
Opening for Riley Green
Elpers’ connection with Riley Green began before The Voice. She previously opened for Green at a music festival in 2023. During that earlier encounter, Green threw koozies toward Kenna and her mother, which they kept.
When Kenna later auditioned for The Voice, she brought the koozies with her. That created an unusual situation when Green turned his chair and found himself competing with Queen Latifah to become the coach of an artist who had previously opened for him.
Their earlier connection did not automatically determine the result, but Kenna ultimately chose Team Riley.
Losing Her Voice
One of the most difficult periods in Elpers’ career came in 2023, when she suddenly lost her voice. She was diagnosed with dysphonia and limited movement in one vocal cord. For someone who had built much of her life around singing, the problem put her career into uncertainty.
Kenna spent months undergoing speech and vocal therapy and had to learn how to use her voice differently. Instead of ending her career, the recovery changed aspects of her sound and contributed to the rasp that became part of her singing style.
She also developed a demanding vocal-care routine to protect her voice while continuing to perform professionally.
Kenna Elpers’ Parents
Kenna’s parents are Dan and Dana Elpers. They have played an active role in supporting her music since she was young, traveling with her to performances and helping her pursue opportunities outside her hometown. Their support continued when she reached The Voice.
Kenna has said her father does not normally fly, but both of her parents traveled to California to attend her Blind Audition. She has described her parents as her rock and credited them with working long hours and driving her to performances across the Midwest while she was building her career.
Brothers and Family
Kenna grew up with two brothers named Kaleb and Josh Elpers.
Her Voice biography also describes her family as including a twin and an older brother. Public reporting names Kaleb and Josh as her brothers, although the material reviewed does not clearly establish which brother is her twin. I would therefore avoid assigning that relationship to either Kaleb or Josh until it can be confirmed directly.
The family watched The Voice together when Kenna was growing up. Years later, her parents were able to watch from the audience as she stood on the actual Blind Audition stage.
The Voice Season 30
Kenna performed “White Horse” by Chris Stapleton for her Season 30 Blind Audition.
Queen Latifah was the first coach to turn. Riley Green later turned as Kenna reached the more powerful part of her performance, giving her two coaches from whom to choose.
For Kenna, reaching that stage had particular meaning because The Voice had been part of her ambition since childhood. She remembered pretending to audition for the show with friends when she was about 10, using office chairs as the coaches’ chairs.
She had also reportedly come close to reaching the televised Blind Auditions years earlier before pandemic-related changes disrupted the opportunity. Season 30 therefore represented another chance at something she had been pursuing for years.
Why She Chose Team Riley
Elpers selected Riley Green as her coach.
Green’s country background made him a natural match for her music, but the two also had their previous connection from the 2023 festival where Kenna had opened for him.
Her decision placed her alongside other Team Riley artists including Joe Henley, Allie Rae and Cade Mower
Kenna’s official social-media hub links to her Instagram under the username @kennaelpersmusic. The same artist identity is used across her music platforms and connects directly with her official website, making the account verifiable as hers. She uses social media to promote her original music, performances and The Voice journey.
Kenna Elpers Quick Facts
- Full name: Kenna Elpers
- Age: 23 during The Voice Season 30
- Hometown: Cynthiana, Indiana
- Current base: Nashville, Tennessee
- High school: North Posey Senior High School
- Graduated: 2021
- College: Middle Tennessee State University
- Field of study: Music business
- Occupation: Singer-songwriter and musician
- Parents: Dan and Dana Elpers
- Brothers: Kaleb and Josh Elpers
- Known for: The Voice Season 30
- Blind Audition song: “White Horse”
- Team: Team Riley
- Coach: Riley Green
- Instagram: @kennaelpersmusic
What Is Next for Kenna Elpers?
Kenna entered The Voice with more than a decade of performance experience despite being only 23. She had already released original music, moved from Indiana to Nashville, studied the music business, opened for established country artists and recovered from a vocal condition that threatened the career she had pursued since childhood.
Her future career therefore does not depend entirely on her eventual placement on The Voice. Season 30 gives her a larger platform for a music career that was already underway, while this biography can be updated with her Battle and later results without making the rest of the page obsolete.
