Banded Story:
I have been playing music since I was a child. I started as a guitarist which i studied for over a decade while also performing in choirs, composing, doing musical theater, playing on the drum line, the jazz band, and most importantly…a hardcore band. Music was always at the heart of my existence, but when I decided I wanted to be a music teacher my band director explained I needed to focus on a concert instrument so I gave up my guitar lessons to formally study percussion. Turns out I was much better at that than guitar and I decided to dedicate my life to being a performer. Fortunately, I was accepted into the undergraduate program at the Manhattan School of Music and the rest is history. I still play guitar, sing, compose, teach, and explore pretty much anything I can get my hands on, but my love for playing in Orchestra is really where my heart is at this point.
Artist Bio:
Joe Kelly currently holds the position of Assistant Principal Timpani/Section Percussion in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra where he has been a member since 2018. He is a private educator in Toronto and coaches the percussion section of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. Before moving to Toronto he spent a season as percussionist in the New World Symphony. Joe holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the Manhattan School of Music as well as Professional Diploma from Roosevelt University. Joe is also an alumni of the Lucerne Festival Academy and the Tanglewood Music Center, where in both programs he has returned as a soloist with their Alumni ensembles. Away from exploring all corners of the percussion world Joe is an avid lover of cooking, coffee, cocktails, and photography.