Commended by the Vancouver Sun for his "sophisticated work of such immediate, glittery appeal" and called "a rising star in the constellation of Canadian composers" by Oregon Arts Watch, Nicholas Ryan Kelly writes choral and classical vocal music with a sense of cinematic drama.

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Internationally, his choral compositions have been performed on 6 continents by groups like the True Concord Voices, the Singapore Youth Choir, and countless community and university groups. At home, his music has been featured by most of Canada's top choirs--including the Elora Singers, Elmer Iseler Singers, Pro Coro Canada, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Elektra Women's Choir, Chor Leoni, Da Capo Chamber Choir, Halifax Camerata Singers, musica intima, the National Youth Choir of Canada, and many others. Since 2016, he has received over 20 national and international awards for both choral and wind ensemble compositions, including the Howard Cable Prize from the Canadian Band Association and the Edwin Fissinger Choral Composition Prize.

 

Originally from the northeastern USA, Nick studied composition at Ithaca College in New York (B.M.) and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (M.Mus.) Now a Canadian citizen, he lives in British Columbia's beautiful Okanagan Valley--on land traditionally stewarded by the Syilx people of the Okanagan nation--where he is constantly inspired to explore humanity's kinship with the natural world in both his life and music.

His choral scores are published with Galaxy Music (ECS), Pavane Publishing, Cypress Choral Music, Renforth Music, and Alliance Music. He also self-publishes through Lone Moose Music, distributed by MusicSpoke and J.W. Pepper.