Alicia Poot Kelly
flutist & educator
My story
Performance
Music lessons started with Suzuki piano at age 7 with Stephen Royal in my hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. Lessons with him have continued to influence my teaching to this day; I credit him with my foundation in aural skills and music theory. I began playing flute at age 9 in my school's band program, then pursued flute performance as my major in college, earning a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and completing some coursework toward a Post-Masters Certificate in Performance.
Early in my post-college career I freelanced in Southwest Michigan, frequently substituting in the flute sections of the Kalamazoo Symphony and Southwest Michigan Symphony, and holding the piccolo position in the Battle Creek Symphony. I also doubled on clarinet and saxophones in orchestra pits for a dozen or so musicals in various theaters, and toured with The Irish Tenors before pursuing my Master's degree in flute performance.
While pursuing my graduate work, some proud moments were winning a spot to play for Paula Robison in the National Flute Association's Master Class Competition, winning a scholarship in the Tuesday Musical Competition, and winning the university Concerto Competition.
Since arriving in Chicago, my primary performance project was serving as the flutist for Palomar, the performance arm of Chicago-based new music and composer resource Access Contemporary Music. I served this role from 2009-2014, touring in Mexico City and Toronto during my tenure, and "touring" the world through collaborations with composers from Brazil and Japan as well.
Besides Palomar, I've played with numerous groups in and around Chicago, Michigan, and Indiana: traditional regional orchestras, chamber projects, and contract jobs for touring groups.
Orchestral: Kalamazoo Symphony, Battle Creek Symphony, Northbrook Symphony, Southwest Michigan Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, Lira Ensemble, Oistrach Symphony, Highland Park Strings, New Millennium Orchestra, Chicago Composers’ Orchestra, Pine Mountain Music Festival (Michigan’s UP), Chicago Global Orchestra, Rome Festival Orchestra, Orford Arts Centre, Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, Tuscarawas Symphony.
Chamber: Shore Line Flutes, Palomar Ensemble (Access Contemporary Music), International Chamber Artists, Anaphora, Crossing Borders Music Collective, Bach & Beyond
Commercial, Pops, Folk, Other: The Irish Tenors, Celtic Thunder, Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling, Sarah Brightman, Hanson, Il Divo, Josh Groban, Canadian folk duo Russell & Gray
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS with Access Contemporary Music:
Chicago Classical Review September 2010
Chicago Classical Review September 2012
Chicago Classical Review February 2013
Chicago Classical Review January 2014
HEAR ME PLAY: PERFORMANCE VIDEOS with ACM:
Composer Alive: Mexico rehearsal June 2009
Quintet by Brian Currant Dec 2011
Seth Boustead's Three for Zhou B August 2012
Yellow by Lansing McClosky August 2012
Density 21.5 with ACM October 2012
Open House Chicago, October 2013
"Four Songs from the Song Reader" January 2014
Delete/Control/Option by Marcos Balter, Toy by Alexandre Lunsqui March 2014
Photo by Nick Matthews
Photo by Adam Johnson
Shore Line Flutes, inaugural perfoamence
Preschool outreach concert
Teaching
The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts)
2010 - 2022
ChiArts opened its doors to its first students in 2009, and I joined the faculty in 2010. I have taught and developed curriculum for these courses:
-Flute Technique
-Music Theory Fundamentals
-Wind Repertoire
-Concert Band
While teaching all of these courses is invigorating, my not-so-secret passion is teaching music theory!
Merit School of Music
2007 - 2014
Merit offers private and group instruction in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood as well as off-site instruction all over Chicago. I taught in all Merit's programs, from group beginner flute classes to group advanced classes in the Tuition-Free Conservatory, private lessons for all ages, summer camp, chamber music for high school students, and beginning woodwinds on the south and west sides of the city for Merit's "Bridges: Partners in Music" program.
Other teaching positions a little further back in time
Back in Michigan I taught at Crescendo Academy of Music (Kalamazoo) and at the Music Center of South Central Michigan (Battle Creek) from 1999-2003. While pursuing my Master's degree at University of Akron, I had a graduate teaching assistantship and also taught privately in my home. Years ago in Chicago I taught at the McCord House in Palos Hills, The School of Performing Arts in Naperville, at Lane Tech High School, and privately in my home and in students' homes. There's a soft spot in my heart for my very first private students I taught in Allegan, MI while still an undergraduate at WMU.
Education
DePaul University
One year of a Post-Master's Certificate in Performance, studying with Mary Stolper.
The University of Akron - Master of Music
Master of Music; studied with George Pope.
Western Michigan University - Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music; studied with Christine M. Smith. Following this diploma, I studied independently for the next several years with Christopher Kantner of the Grand Rapids Symphony.
Catholic University of America
I started my college career at CUA, in Washington DC, studying with Alice Weinreb of the National Symphony Orchestra. I also studied in the piano studio of Dr. Chiara Selby.
Etc.
ADDITIONAL FLUTE STUDIES
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Rome Festival
Rome, Italy
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Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific
Powell River, BC, Canada
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Julius Baker Masterclasses
Danbury, CT
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Orford Arts Centre
Magog, QC, Canada
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
FRENCH STUDIES
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Northeastern Illinois University
FREN 312, 313, and 320: Grammar, Conversation, and Literature. GPA 4.0
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Dominican University
FREN 353, French Cinema, GPA 4.0
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University of Illinois at Chicago
FREN 333, Oral et écrit, GPA 4.0
Québec, Canada, summer immersion program