Chad Kelly: Licenced to play

British keyboardist and director Chad Kelly has a very long list of credits to his name. He has been living in Australia less than two years, but has already performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Victorian Opera, and with the Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. Earlier this year, he joined Opera Australia. His commitment to historically informed performance practice has led him to perform with Sir John Elliot Gardiner and Trevor Pinnock, and his enduring collaboration with violinist Rachel Podger has recently culminated in them recording an album together of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations, due for release in 2023. 

He will be guest directing the Australian Haydn Ensemble for CPE Bach: Universe of Harmony, their final concert of the year, from the 11th to the 14th of December. In this conversation, Chad gives us a preview of the concert and his unique perspectives on historically informed performance practice, and he shares a diverse selection of works which have played different roles in his life.