Alex Kelly is a San Francisco based cellist, composer, teacher and conductor. After earning three bachelors degrees and
two masters degrees in music, Alex completed a doctorate
in cello performance with a secondary area in composition
from the University of Oregon. He has performed with
and composed music for a variety of orchestras, chamber
orchestras, new music ensembles, string quartets, cello
quartets, jazz combos, rock bands, dance companies, and circus troupes through the United States and Canada for the past fifteen years.
Alex's versatility is demonstrated in a variety of styles, which range from Renaissance to Romantic, from avant-garde to rock. He is fluent in classical, jazz and rock genres. In the past ten years, he has premiered over 150 new solo and chamber works and has recorded cello, piano, and guitar lines on over 50 albums. Alex played with Joan Jeanrenaud on her 2009 Grammy Award nominated Album, Strange Toys.
Alex's method book, The Seven Points: A New Proportional Approach to Cello Techniques helps cellists of all skill levels to improve pitch accuracy through finger and mapping techniques. In addition to freelance work. Alex maintains a private teaching studio of 10-15 students, as well as directing the chamber orchestra program at the Urban School of San Francisco. Other interests include conducting, electronic music, and ethnomusicology.
Alex most often performs on a Helmuth Keller cello, with a bow by John Norwood Lee. For baroque performances, he performs with gut strings, a baroque bow by R.N. Doe, and an end pin. Alex also frequently performs with a Zeta MIDI electronic cello. His "one man band" set up includes acoustic and electric cellos, keyboard, (piano, electric piano, or Rhodes), acoustic and vintage e4lectric guitars, hardware and software processing, and loop pedals. He also performs on occasion with violin, electric violin, Tuvan igil, Irish bouzcuki, didjeridu, harmonica, and end hand percussion. 
