Brian Kelly American composer, pianist and producer Date of Birth: 16.03.1960 Country: USA

1. Biography of Brian Kelly
2. Early Life and Musical Beginnings
3. Education and Career
4. Album Releases and Recognition
5. Later Releases and Accolades
6. Current Work and Accomplishments

Biography of Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly is an American composer, pianist, and producer known for creating instrumental music in various genres such as jazz fusion, smooth jazz, contemporary jazz, neo-classical, and new age. He was born on March 16, 1960, in New York and grew up in Palo Alto, California.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

At the age of eight, Brian started taking piano lessons and composing pieces for his mother, who played both piano and violin. By the age of ten, he was captivated by the music on the second side of "Abbey Road" album and Beethoven's first piano concerto. In his childhood, Brian gained extensive stage experience as an actor and performer, participating in dozens of plays and musical productions at the Palo Alto Children's Theater. He also sang a cappella in a madrigal group for four years while continuing to write his own music.

Education and Career

After high school, Brian studied composition at Hampshire College in Massachusetts and learned jazz piano technique from renowned jazz pianist, composer, and educator Art Lande. In 1990, Brian won the "Soundpage Award" from Keyboard Magazine for his composition "Todd Pond." Currently, Brian Kelly resides and works in San Francisco, California.

Album Releases and Recognition

In 2005, Kelly released his debut album of piano instrumental music called "Pools of Light" on his own label, Skylight Music. The album topped contemporary instrumental radio charts in North America for two months and was listed as one of the "Top 10 New Age Albums of 2004" by MainlyPiano.com. Kelly was nominated for the "NAR Lifestyle Music" award in the category of "Artist of the Year." In 2006, he released "Pools of Light: The Solo Piano Songbook," a collection of 11 solo piano arrangements from his previous album.

Later Releases and Accolades

Brian Kelly's second album, "Afterplay," featuring instrumental music with piano as the main instrument, was released in 2008. The album, characterized by powerful melodies, smooth technique, and richly detailed arrangements, reached the third spot on the NAR Top 100 radio chart for three months. Collaborating with Kelly on the record were saxophonist Eric Crystal, drummer David Rokeach, flutist Viviana Guzman, guitarist James Robinson, and other musicians. In 2009, "Afterplay" secured the second place in the "Best Instrumental Jazz Album" category at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards.

Current Work and Accomplishments

Brian Kelly's music is widely broadcasted on national and international radio stations, and he also composes soundtracks for television shows and creates music for TV and radio commercials.