Kelly Kuo, Artistic Director Emeritus
Praised by the Cincinnati Enquirer as “a leader of exceptional musical gifts, who has a clear technique on the podium and an impressive rapport with audiences,” Maestro Kelly Kuo brings a dynamic versatility and nuance to a diverse repertoire, which includes nearly 100 operas and an expansive symphonic repertoire as well. His engagements have included productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Merola Opera Program, Kentucky Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Columbus, and the Brevard Music Center, and concerts with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Sunriver Music Festival, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Olympia Symphony Orchestra, and Ballet Fantastique.
In 2008, Maestro Kuo became the first conductor of Asian descent to lead a performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, making his company debut with Porgy and Bess. He has since returned to lead the Chicago premiere of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird and performances featuring artists of the Ryan Opera Center. Upcoming engagements include debuts with Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Knoxville Opera and the Walla Walla Symphony.
An Oregon native and recipient of a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistant Award, Kuo continues to concertize as a keyboardist as the only pianist to have studied with two pupils of the Russian virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz.