Melbourne – Australia
Brett Kelly studied at the Newcastle campus of the NEW SOUTH WALES CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC and held positions as Principal Trombone in the AUSTRALIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA, the ELIZABETH TRUST ORCHESTRA, and with the MELBOURNE SYMPHONY until 2019. He appeared on numerous occasions as concerto soloist with the MELBOURNE SYMPHONY, the SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, and the QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. He is currently the Music Director of MELBOURNE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS.
Kelly established his early reputation as a conductor after forming THE MOZART COLLECTION in 1990, the chamber orchestra subsequently known as the ACADEMY OF MELBOURNE. His conducting of the orchestra met with consistent critical acclaim, Kenneth Hince writing in THE AGE: …Kelly’s approach to the music was direct and uncomplicated… I enjoyed this performance far more than the recent performances…by Frans Bruggen and the Orchestra Of The 18th Century…the performance was very, very good…, and saying: Brett Kelly’s impressive direction of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony aroused prolonged applause…Kelly’s incisive accents and instinctive sense of pace maintained vital, driving rhythm and showed his informed grasp of Beethoven’s intricate authority and logic…, and THE AGE has said, …the Academy has earned a reputation for exciting and committed performances – in no small part due to the energetic yet urbane direction of Brett Kelly…
From 2003 he was Music Advisor and Resident Conductor for CHAMBER MADE OPERA as part of which commitment he conducted the company’s seasons of new operatic works including Nicholas Vines’ THE HIVE, for which he was nominated as Best Conductor Of An Opera in the GREENROOM AWARDS, Matt Saville’s CROSSING LIVE and Andrew Schultz’ THE CHILDREN’S BACH. For his conducting of THE HIVE by Nicolas Vines he was nominated for a GREENROOM AWARD as Best Conductor of an Opera.
He has been the featured conductor on numerous CD recordings for labels such as NAXOS, TALL POPPIES and ABC CLASSICS with his recording of the Rodrigo guitar concertos with Slava and Leonard Grigoryan being nominated for a 2006 ARIA award.
Kelly has conducted the orchestral scores for numerous international films including SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, THE BANK JOB, CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI, KNOWING, SOUTH SOLITARY, BENEATH HILL 60, TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, THE WAY HOME, THE BLUE MANSION, LEGEND OF THE GUARDIAN, CLOUDSTREET, SANCTUMS, Baz Luhrmann’s epic, AUSTRALIA and HAPPY FEET II.
He is regularly invited to conduct the leading Australian symphony orchestras, with the MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and the QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA regularly conducting young audience programs in such works as PETER & THE WOLF, and Britten’s A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA, its DAHLESQUE and THE COMPOSER IS DEAD concert programs, and in a vast array of recording projects including, most recently in 2021, in joint recordings with the MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and the SINGAPORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
He has been engaged to conduct SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS and concerts in the program of the TEN DAYS ON THE ISLAND FESTIVAL by the TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and for major outdoor events, and young audience concerts by the ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and WEST AUSTRALIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and in New Zealand he has appeared regularly with the AUCKLAND PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA including conducting James Morrison’s concerts with the orchestra and its annual Christmas concerts.
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All enquiries to Jeff Weaver at Weaver Artist Management