Bryan Kelly was born in Oxford in 1934 and studied at the R.C.M. and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He was on the staff of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music then moved to the Royal College in London, where he taught Harmony, Counterpoint and Orchestration for twenty years. He has also lived and worked in the U.S.A., Egypt, Italy and France.
His musical output is copious and includes many works for orchestra, solo instruments and voices. He appears regularly as a solo pianist and is co-founder of the Zodiac Ensemble.
Two Harlem Pieces for flute and piano were commissioned from Bryan Kelly by Brenda Dykes and Robert Ferguson.
The first piece is marked lugubre…
Two Harlem Pieces for flute and piano were commissioned from Bryan Kelly by Brenda Dykes and Robert Ferguson.
The first piece is marked lugubre and reflects the darker side of Harlem music, while the second – ritmico – displays energy, vigour and syncopated rhythms. It requires the soloist to demonstrate the agility and flexibility for which the flute is well known.