Kelley O’Connor
Instrumental Focus
- mezzo-soprano
Kelley O’Connor is a Grammy award-winning mezzo soprano whose performances of the masterpieces of Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, Osvaldo Golijov, and others have forged her as one of the most compelling performers of her generation.
John Adams wrote the title role of The Gospel According to the Other Mary for Kelley O’Connor and she has performed the work, both in concert and in the Peter Sellars fully staged production, under the batons of John Adams, Gustavo Dudamel, Grant Gershon, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Simon Rattle, and David Robertson. Her vivid recital career includes performances in Boston with Thomas Adès in a program of Brahms, Purcell, and Stravinsky, in Cincinnati with pianist Louis Langrée in programs of Brahms and Ravel, and in Jackson Hole with the music of Brahms and Bernstein in a collaboration with Donald Runnicles.
She is a longstanding artist partner of Maestro Robert Spano, and has appeared in collaboration with the Atlanta Symphony numerous times, including as Federico Garcia Lorca for Golijov’s multi-Grammy award-winning opera Ainadamar.