Formally, Henning holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and clarinet performance from College of Wooster (Wooster, Ohio) where he studied with Jack Gallagher, Paul Schwartz and Nancy Garlick; a M.A. in composition from University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) where he studied with Judith Shatin, Walter Ross and Douglas Hargrave; and a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) where he studied with Charles Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen.

After his doctoral work, Henning lived for four years in and near St. Petersburg, Russia. There he studied the canals, bridges, cathedrals, white nights and starry winter skies of St. Petersburg. This was a period of informal arts study which he feels in many ways equal in importance to his years of formal training.

His music has been played and sung on three continents (North America, Europe and Australia). In the autumn of 2006 he was designated Composer-in-Residence at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in Boston.

For the past four years, Henning has lived, written and performed in the Boston area. His wife (Maria Bablyak) and mom-in-law (Irina Pisarenko) are both formidably talented artists, designers and architects.