Paul Austin Kelly

Paul Austin Kelly has performed leading tenor roles with the NY Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, and Milan’s La Scala opera houses, to name but a few.  Originally a specialist in the Rossini repertoire, he sang numerous times at the Pesaro Festival, and recorded several operas with the Opera Rara label.

On the concert stage, Paul has appeared throughout the UK and the rest of the world, with repertoire ranging from Bach and Handel through to Britten and Berg. An accomplished recitalist, Paul partnered with the late pianist Martin Isepp for solo recitals, and has performed with the Nicholas Yonge Society, the Lewes Festival of Song, and frequently appears with Dame Felicity Lott in concert with the Corelli Ensemble. He and pianist wife Carol Kelly perform together, and in 2020 released a YouTube recital of American classical song called “Retracing our Steps.”

Crossing the musical spectrum, Paul has recorded songs from The Great American Songbook with Petula Clark’s long-standing music director, the late great Kenny Clayton. Paul also toured as guest artist with Lesley Garrett, and featured on the BBC programmes In Tune and Friday Night is Music Night. His most recent recording venture is a collaborative project called Classical Loonatix, which features Bop to Hip-Hop arrangements of classical masterworks.

In 2003, Paul founded the award-winning children’s music label, Walking Oliver, and wrote songs supporting UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Charter for UK primary schools. His compositions for trumpet are published by Forton Music, and he maintains a trumpet teaching studio both at home and at several independent schools.

A long-time resident of Lewes, East Sussex, Paul is a keen observer of wildlife, an avid butterfly photographer, and under lockdown, nurtured his passion for collecting old 78s.

www.paulaustinkelly.com

For Oratorio  and Concert repertoire please scroll down: