Jean Kelly hails from an Irish family of several generations of professional musicians.
In 1996 Jean won a scholarship to study harp at the Royal College of Music, London. Since graduating she has based herself in London and is in great demand as a versatile harpist. She regularly tours with the Locrian Ensemble performing harp concertos and her own arrangements of Irish music. She has recorded three CD's with the group including Handel Harp Concerto and Mozart Flute and harp Concerto. A CD of Chamber Music by Richard Arnell was Editor's Choice in Gramophone magazine. She has also recorded for the Guild label.
In May 2011 Jean was invited to Dublin to play for the historic visit of HM Queen Elizabeth to Ireland. Jean has played harp on several film scores. She has recorded with Katie Melua and The Chieftains and has played on BBC radio and television. She appeared on RTE Television (Ireland) playing duets with Sir James Galway for the closing ceremony of Cork City of Culture.
Jean has performed in Vienna and St.Petersburg providing music for plays devised by Cork based Boomerang Theatre Company and in 2006 she was involved in a Rough Magic Theatre Company production at the Soho Theatre, London.
Jean performed alongside Nobel Prize-winner Seamus Heaney at the Opening Night of the World Harp Congress in Dublin and she accompanied Irish President Mary McAleese on a State Visit to Austria. Jean has played harp with renowned Israeli Sephardic singer Yasmin Levy. She enjoys playing traditional Irish folk music and also plays Medieval harp and Fidel with early music group 'Joglaresa'. www.joglaresa.com
Jean has a duo with her sister Fiona Kelly, an award winning flautist who won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music and is currently Principal Flautist with Swedish Chamber Orchestra. They have performed recitals and concerts throughout the U.K. and abroad, a recent highlight was a performance of Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. They have performed on Classical Music Festivals at Sea for P&O Cruises, hosted by Richard Baker and have released a CD with other London based Irish musicians called 'Toss the Feathers'. They appeared together in July 2012 on an Irish tour playing Mozart Concerto with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland.
Jean plays Electric Harp with her new band 'Ranagri', and is currently recording an album with the band at Real World Studios.
"Delighting both ear and eye, the lovely Jean Kelly starred with the Locrian Ensemble in Handel's delicious Harp Concerto, a beguiling combination" Bournemouth Echo