John-Edward Kelly (October 7, 1958 – February 12, 2015) was an American conductor and

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. Born in

Fairfield, California Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, in the North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately fro ...

, Kelly began music studies in Belleville, Illinois studying clarinet, saxophone, flute and voice. Kelly focused on his passion for the saxophone as he began formal music studies at Florida State University's College of Music; where he launched his quest to resurrect the original tone and range of the saxophone as designed by Adolphe Sax. His teachers included Sigurd Rascher. Kelly took Rascher's place as alto saxophonist in the

Raschèr Saxophone Quartet The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet is a professional ensemble of four saxophonists which performs classical and modern music. The quartet was founded in the United States in 1969 by prominent classical saxophonist Sigurd Raschèr and his daughter, Ca ...

, with which he regularly performed for 10 years. Kelly later became a professor of chamber music at the Robert Schumann Academy of Music in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

, and a professor of saxophone and contemporary chamber music at the

Norwegian Academy of Music The Norwegian Academy of Music (Norwegian: ''Norges musikkhøgskole'', NMH) is a university-level music conservatory located in Oslo, Norway, in the neighbourhood of Majorstuen, Frogner. It is the largest music academy in Norway and offers the co ...

in Oslo. He had a 30-year international career as a classical saxophonist. Kelly founded the Alloys Ensemble (saxophone, cello, piano & percussion) in 1994 an
The Kelly Quartet
in 2004. In 2005, Kelly co-founded the Arcos Orchestra with violinist Elissa Cassini, with a focus on unfamiliar orchestral repertoire. He also was a professor of contemporary chamber music at the Robert Schumann Academy of Music from 1996 to 2003. As well, he was professor of saxophone and contemporary chamber music at the

in Oslo, Norway, from 2000 to 2005. He lectured and served as a guest professor in such cities as London, The Hague, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Rochester, Stuttgart, Lyon, Oslo, and. He published articles on

aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...

and the saxophone, including a pamphlet titled "The Acoustics of the Saxophone from a Phenomenological Perspective". He also gave a series of lectures titled 'The Art of Listening'. Kelly was elected to the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...

in 1999. Kelly gave the first performances of more than 200 works for saxophone, including 30 concertos for saxophone and orchestra. His performing repertoire consisted primarily of works written expressly for him. In 1995 he played the world premiere of

Dimitri Terzakis Dimitri Terzakis ( el, Δημήτρης Τερζάκης; born March 12, 1938 in Athens) is a Greek composer. His father was the author Angelos Terzakis. From 1959–1964 Terzakis studied composition with Yannis Papaioannou at the Athens Helleni ...

's saxophone concerto, which was broadcast live to 27 nations. Other composers who have written works for Kelly include: Samuel Adler,

Kalevi Aho Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer. Early years Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...

Osvaldas Balakauskas Osvaldas Jonas Balakauskas (born December 19, 1937 in Miliūnai) is a Lithuanian composer of classical music and diplomat. Career Balakauskas graduated from Vilnius Pedagogical University in 1961. After his mandatory service in the Soviet Arm ...

Jürg Baur Jürg Baur (11 November 1918 – 31 January 2010) was a German composer whose works include ''Incontri and Mutazioni.'' Baur studied at the Cologne University of Music and taught there in his later years. Baur was also awarded the Federal Cro ...

Erik Bergman Erik Valdemar Bergman (24 November 1911, in Nykarleby – 24 April 2006, in Helsinki) was a composer of classical music from Finland. Bergman's style ranged widely, from Romanticism in his early works (many of which he later prohibited from bein ...

, David Blake, John Boda,

Thomas Böttger Thomas Böttger (born 1957 in Neustrelitz, Bezirk Neubrandenburg) is a German composer and pianist. Life From 1975 to 1980, Böttger studied composition and piano at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler", Berlin College of Music "Hanns Eisle ...

, Herbert Callhoff,

Michael Denhoff Michael Denhoff (born 25 April 1955 in Ahaus) is a German composer and cellist. Life Denhoff has lived and worked in Bonn since 1982. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where his teachers included Günter Bialas and Hans We ...

Violeta Dinescu Violeta Dinescu (born 13 July 1953, in Bucharest) is a Romanian composer, pianist and professor, living in Germany since 1982. Romania Violeta Dinescu began her studies of music in 1972 at the conservatory ''Ciprian Porumbescu'' in Bucharest, c ...

Brian Elias Brian Elias (born 30 August 1948) is a British composer. Biography Brian Elias was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in the U.K. since he was thirteen years old. After studying at the Royal College of Music he undertook private studies with ...

Anders Eliasson Anders Erik Birger Eliasson (3 April 1947 – 20 May 2013) was a Sweden, Swedish composer. Life Eliasson was born in Borlänge. His "earliest musical experiences originated from within myself: they were my own singing, and familiar tunes I h ...

Werner Wolf Glaser Werner Wolf Glaser (14 April 1910 – 29 March 2006, Västerås, Sweden) was a German-born Swedish composer, conductor, pianist, professor, music critic, and poet. Life Born in Cologne, Glaser studied piano, conducting, and composition at the Co ...

Sampo Haapamäki Sampo Haapamäki (born 3 February 1979) is a Finnish composer. He has won several international composition competitions. Education Haapamäki studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Tapio Nevanlinna and Veli-Matti Puumala. He has also st ...

Ingvar Karkoff Yngvar Harra (or Ingvar; Proto-Norse ''*Ingu-Hariz''; non, Yngvarr ; d. early 7th century) was the son of Östen and reclaimed the Swedish throne for the House of Yngling after the Swedes had rebelled against Sölvi. He is reported to have fa ...

Maurice Karkoff Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

Tristan Keuris Tristan Keuris (3 October 1946 in Amersfoort – 15 December 1996 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch composer. Life and career Keuris initially studied with Jan van Vlijmen in Amersfoort. At the age of 15 he started his studies with Ton de Leeuw at the U ...

Hans Kox Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...

Nicola LeFanu Nicola Frances LeFanu (born 28 April 1947) is a British composer, academic, lecturer and director. Life Nicola LeFanu was born in Wickham Bishops, Essex, England, to William LeFanu and Elizabeth Maconchy (also a composer, later Dame Elizabeth Mac ...

, Otmar Mácha, Tera de Marez-Oyens, Miklós Maros,

Gérard Masson Gérard Masson (born 12 August, 1936, in Paris) is a French composer. Biography Gérard Masson grew up listening to jazz, played jazz trumpet, and began studying the piano in 1945, but had no formal training in composition until, after militar ...

, Roland Leistner-Mayer,

Krzysztof Meyer Krzysztof Meyer (born 11 August 1943) is a Polish composer, pianist, and music scholar, formerly Dean of the Department of Music Theory (1972–1975) at the State College of Music (now Academy of Music in Kraków), and president of the Union of P ...

Gráinne Mulvey Gráinne Mulvey (born 10 March 1966) is an Irish composer. Biography Mulvey was born in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland, and studied with Eric Sweeney at Waterford Regional Technical College, Hormoz Farhat at Trinity College Dublin an ...

, Pehr-Henrik Nordgren, Enrique Raxach,

Uros Rojko The Uru or Uros ( ure, Qhas Qut suñi) are an indigenous people of Bolivia. They live on an approximate and still growing 120 self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca near Puno. They form three main groups: the Uru-Chipaya, Uru-Murato ...

, Jan Sandström,

Sven-David Sandström Sven-David Sandström (30 October 1942, in Motala – 10 June 2019) was a Swedish classical composer of operas, oratorios, ballets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works. Life and career Sandström studied art history and musicology at ...

Leif Segerstam Leif Selim Segerstam ( , ; born 2 March 1944) is a Finnish conductor, composer, violinist, violist and pianist, especially known for writing 350 symphonies as of August 2022, along with other works in his extensive oeuvre. Segerstam has condu ...

, Manfred Stahnke,

Stefan Thomas Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

Friedrich Voss Friedrich Voss (7 July 1872 — 3 March 1953) was a German civil engineer educated at Braunschweig University of Technology. Biography Voss was born in Calvörde. As a civil engineer his career began at the municipal waterways management of Hambu ...

, and

Iannis Xenakis Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes as Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; el, Γιάννης "Ιωάννης" Κλέαρχου Ξενάκης, ; 29 May 1922 – 4 February 2001) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde ...

. Kelly met his wife Kristin, a physician, at a concert in Germany. The couple married in 2003. They had 4 children, 3 sons and a daughter. His widow and children survive him. In private life, he was a licensed

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

and

flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to operate aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate ...

Selected discography

* John-Edward Kelly & Bob Versteegh (3 volumes) (1987, 1991, 1994) - Col legno Musikproduktionen AU031805, AU031817, and WWE1CD31885 * Works for Saxophone & Orchestra by Ibert,

Larsson Larsson () is a Swedish patronymic surname meaning "son of Lars". There are various spellings. Notable people with the surname include: Academics * Hans Larsson (1862–1944) was a Swedish Professor of Philosophy at Lund University, Sweden * Susa ...

, &

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, BMG (with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra) (1991) - Arte Nova 74321277 * Miklós Maros Saxophone Concerto (with the

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (''Symfonický orchestr Českého rozhlasu'', Czech acronym SOČR, English acronym PRSO) is a Czech broadcast orchestra based in Prague, the Czech Republic. The SOČR performs concerts at the Dvořák Hall of th ...

) (1990) - Phono Suecia PS-CD-23 *

Pehr Henrik Nordgren Pehr Henrik Nordgren (19 January 1944 – 25 August 2008) was a Finnish composer. Life Pehr Henrik Nordgren was born in Saltvik, Åland. received composition lessons starting from 1958 in Helsinki and studied musicology at the university from 196 ...

Saxophone Concerto (with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra) (1995) - Finlandia 3984233922 *

Allan Pettersson Gustaf Allan Pettersson (19 September 1911 – 20 June 1980) was a Swedish composer and violist. He is considered one of the 20th century's most important Swedish composers, he was described as one of the last great symphonists, ...

Symphony No. 16 (with the Sinfonie-Orchester des Saarländischen Rundfunks) (1995) - CPO 9992842 * Jan Sandström - My Assam Dragon (with the

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra ( sv, Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester) is a Swedish radio orchestra based in Stockholm, affiliated with Sveriges Radio (Sweden's Radio). Its principal performing venue is the Berwaldhallen (Berwald Hall). The o ...

(1995) - Phono Suecia PSCD87 *John-Edward Kelly Alone (1999) - Emergo Classics EC39322 *

- Concertino (with the Norwegian Winds) (1991) - Attaca-Babel 92621 * Hans Kox - Through a Glass, Darkly (1992) - Attaca-Babel 9374 *

Viktor Ullmann Viktor Ullmann (1 January 1898, in Český Těšín, Teschen – 18 October 1944, in KZ Auschwitz-Birkenau) was a Silesia-born Austrians, Austrian composer, conductor and pianist. Biography Viktor Ullmann was born on 1 January 1898 in Český ...

- Slawische Rhapsodie (with the

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) is a German broadcast orchestra based in Berlin. The orchestra performs its concerts principally in the Philharmonie Berlin. The orchestra is administratively based at the ''Rundfunk Berlin-Branden ...

) (1998) - Orfeo C419981A *

- Laudi (with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) (1994) - Emergo Classics EC39332 *

- Konflikte (1997) - ProViva 7198585 (ISVP185CD) *

- Three Sonnets (2001) *

- Symphony No. 3 (2001) *

- Desert Point / Ostacoli / Sinfonia Per Achi (with Arcos Orchestra, conductor: John-Edward Kelly) (2008) - NEOS SACD 10813 *

- Phantasme (2001) * Hans Kox - Face-to-Face (2001) * The Alloys Ensemble (2001)

References

External links

*
Official page of the Arcos Orchestra

Christoph Schlüren, "'Unwilling to Compromise' – Zum Tod von John-Edward Kelly". NMZ Online, 20 February 2015 (German-language tribute)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, John-Edward 1958 births 2015 deaths 20th-century German musicians American classical saxophonists American male saxophonists German classical musicians 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical musicians