People Behind the Scenes: Phillip Kelsey

Philip A. Kelsey has been active as a conductor, keyboard artist, and teacher in the northwest for nearly 25 years. Educated at Harvard, Tanglewood, and Vienna, Kelsey has worked for Seattle Opera since 1990. As Seattle Opera’s assistant conductor, Kelsey is a crucial member of the music team, coordinating many of the musical aspects of each production, including musical preparation of scores, coaching singers, conducting rehearsals, playing keyboards, and conducting backstage bandas during performances. Kelsey became “hooked” on opera at the early age of ten when, as a member of the San Francisco Boys’ Chorus, he was one of two boys chosen to perform in Cherubini’s Medea. When asked why he enjoys working at Seattle Opera, Kelsey said: “Seattle Opera has an incredibly special working atmosphere, and it all starts at the top. Speight runs a completely open and straightforward ‘shop,’ where communication and sharing of ideas are actively encouraged. We meet, discuss, exchange opinions honestly, sometimes agree to differ—but always in a mutually supportive atmosphere.”