Kelly Via Flute Choir Director |
KELLY VIA received the Bachelor of Music from Drake University (Des Moines, IA) and the Master of Music from East Carolina University (Greenville, NC). His primary teachers were Nathen E. Jones, Beatrice Chauncey and Paul Brittan. He also participated in masterclasses with Samuel Barron, Julius Baker and Bernard Goldberg. Kelly is the piccoloist with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and Macon Symphony Orchestra. For many years he was principal flutist of the former Atlanta Pops Orchestra and he was a charter member of the Georgia Sinfonia. He has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, Augusta Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Des Moines Symphony and Des Moines Metro Opera orchestras. He has appeared as soloist with the Albany Symphony, Atlanta Pops, Columbus Symphony and Macon Symphony orchestras. Kelly also performs frequently as a soloist and in a variety of chamber ensembles in the Atlanta area including the Piedmont Winds (woodwind quintet). A flute choir enthusiast and arranger, Kelly has been selected to perform with the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir each year since 2000. Several of his arrangements for flute choir are available through Nourse Wind Publications. One of these arrangements was named a winner in the National Flute Association's 2002 Newly Published Music Competition and another was named a finalist in 2004. He conducted the Mid-Atlantic High School Flute Choir at the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair in Dulles, VA. Most recently he was appointed to serve as Flute Choir Coordinator for the National Flute Association from 2007 to 2012 and to conduct the NFA National High School Flute Choir in 2008. Kelly is currently teaching flute and directing flute choirs at Mercer University, Agnes Scott College and the Atlanta Music Academy. His teaching experience includes the positions of flute instructor at Mercer University Atlanta, Simpson College (Indianola, IA) and Graceland College (Lamoni, IA); graduate teaching assistant at East Carolina University; and preparatory flute instructor at Drake University. |
