Nathan Kelly
Nathan Kelly (born October 22, 1980) is an American composer, orchestrator, and pianist. He studied at the University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Austin (Bachelors), and The Juilliard School. He studied orchestration privately in New York City with Danny Troob, composer Tobias Picker, and as the only student of multi-award winner Jonathan Tunick. He attended Tanglewood, Aspen Music Festival, Atlantic Center for the Arts, ASCAP/NYU film scoring workshop, and Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program.
He interned at Walt Disney Studios and worked as a copyist for Alfred Music Publishing, Schott Helicon and G. Schirmer.
He has orchestrated for albums for Dionne Warwick, Broadway shows (Gypsy with Patti LuPone ‘08, Curtains, The Tony Awards, Sir Andrè Previn, The Kennedy Center, Stephen Schwartz’ Opera Seancè on a Wet Afternoon, Lea Salonga), and concerts for artists such as Audra McDonald, Peter Schickele and Sarah Brightman.
A pianist, Nathan has played in numerous Broadway orchestras (Beauty and the Beast, The Wedding Singer, Forbidden Broadway, Grease, Phantom of the Opera, Altar Boyz) and the Rockettes, and the New York City Ballet.
Awards
- Ucross Foundation Fellowship
- Morton Gould Young Composers (finalist)
- Knox-Galesburg Symphony
- Tyler Youth Orchestra
- Ford Schuman scholarship
Notable orchestrations
Broadway
The following list consists of select Broadway shows for which Nathan Kelly orchestrated the score and/or songs.
2000s
- Sèance on a Wet Afternoon: Opera by Stephen Schwartz (2010)
- Dionne Warkwick: Love Songs - album (2009)
- Curtains (Kander/Ebb) (2007)
- Gypsy: Revival with Patti LuPone (2008)
Others
- The Tony Awards (2007, 2008)
- Sir Andrè Previn
- The Kennedy Center
- Walt Disney Music Studios
- Audra McDonald: Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall
- Lea Salonga: Carnegie Hall Debut (2007)
Broadway Pianist
The following is a partial listing of Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals in which Kelly performed.
- The Little Mermaid
- Grease
- The Phantom of the Opera
- The Wedding Singer
- Beauty and the Beast
- Me and My Girl
- Altar Boyz
- Forbidden Broadway
- Happy Days
- Miracle Brothers
- Thrill Me