Jennifer Kelly
Other Titles
- Director of Choral Activities
Degrees
- D.M.A.: University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Jennifer Kelly is an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Lafayette College. She previously served as the College’s Director of Arts (2015–2021) and is the author of In Her Own Words: Conversations with Composers in the United States. Her research has been presented across the United States, Europe, and China, and her article on “Collective Inspiration” appears in Choral Journal, 2024.
As conductor of the Lafayette Choirs and the nonprofit ensemble Concord Chamber Singers of the Lehigh Valley (2012-2021), Dr. Kelly secured a prestigious grant from The Hearst Foundations to support several new commissioning projects. These included: Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea, a major work by Gabriela Lena Frank; Swara Leela (Divine Play of Notes), the first concerto for sitar, tabla, orchestra, and chorus by Hasu Patel; and At the Forks, a work by Libby Larsen honoring the shared cultural narratives of the Lehigh Valley. She has also commissioned and premiered works by Hilary Tann, Beth Anderson, Alice Parker, Mulgrew Miller, and Svetlana Bukvich. Under her leadership, the Lafayette Choirs have toured internationally to Italy, Costa Rica, Portugal, and Ireland.
During her tenure as Director of Arts at Lafayette College, Dr. Kelly led and collaborated on several key initiatives. She secured grants to explore the arts in contemporary Muslim cultures, integrate the arts across academic disciplines, renovate the Williams Center performance hall, and examine the intersection of the arts and technology. She played a central role in expanding the visibility and impact of the arts on campus and co-directed a major interdisciplinary grant project with the Engineering Division to reimagine the entrepreneurial mindset in higher education. She is also the co-developer of Meta Mindset, a framework for innovative thinking and learning.
Dr. Kelly earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied under Donald Neuen and Robert Winter, and was significantly impacted by Susan McClary. Her conducting experience includes the Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kadima Conservatory, the Los Angeles United Musicians Symphony Orchestra, the College Music Society Colleague Choir (2022), Concord Chamber Singers, and ensembles at Los Angeles Valley College and Lafayette College. She is a sought-after guest conductor and clinician, known for her ensembles’ energy, dynamic range, creative programming, and powerful storytelling.
As a professional vocalist, Dr. Kelly trained with esteemed teachers including Karen Morrow, Kari Windigstadt-White, Dorothy Warenskjold, John Hall, Gary Busby, and Eric van Hoven. She performed with the London Philharmonia Chorus and the BBC Concert Orchestra in James MacMillan’s St. John Passion, sang mezzo-soprano roles in Gilbert & Sullivan: Revue, and is a cabaret vocalist.