Kevin Kelly (1961-) | University of Illinois Archives

Kevin Kelly grew up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In 1979 he was accepted at Northwestern University, where he earned bachelors degrees in English and music history and criticism. After working as an editor for the Chicago-based publishing house Mosby-Year Book, Kelly moved to Champaign-Urbana to pursue dual masters degrees in orchestral and choral conducting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Kelly studied conducting with Kenneth Kiesler, Paul Vermel, and Victor Yampolsky. Prior to graduating in 1993, he became the conductor of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra and has served in this position for over thirty years. In 1996, Kelly became the host of WILL-FM's classical program "Live and Local." In that same year he founded the Prairie Ensemble, a local chamber orchestra, which operated from 1996 until 2015. Kelly also became the choir director at Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign in 1996, serving the church for seventeen years.

In 2014, Kelly moved to Chicago where he became the director of the Allegro Community Chorus of Palatine, Illinois, a position he has held for over fifteen years. In addition to his part-time conducting roles in Chicago and Central Illinois, in 2020 Kelly expanded upon his experience as a radio host, becoming a voice actor. Kelly maintains a career as a professional musician as well, singing with several professional choral ensembles in Chicago, including the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Grant Park Symphony Chorus, The City Musick, Basically Bach and His Majesties Clerkes (now Bella Voce).