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, wind ensemble, and chamber music infused with a sense of cinematic drama.

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His choral compositions have been premiered by many of Canada's top choirs, including Chor Leoni, Da Capo Chamber Choir, the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Elektra Women's Choir, Pro Coro Canada, Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the National Youth Choir of Canada. International performances include the Singapore Youth Choir, True Concord Voices, the West Point Band of the US Army, and many others. Since 2015, he has received over 20 national and international prizes 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.) He lives in British Columbia's beautiful Okanagan Valley with his partner and their nature-obsessed toddler. His choral scores are published with Pavane Publishing, Cypress Choral Music, Renforth Music, and Alliance Music. He also self-publishes through Lone Moose Music, distributed by MusicSpoke.