Thomas Forrest Kelly

Leading scholar of medieval music, dedicated performer, and one of the leading proselytizers for classical music of all kinds and periods. Skilled teacher, famous for his popular course, First Nights; also dedicated performer on the concert stage. At Oberlin College, before coming to Harvard, directed the Historical Performance Program, also serving as Acting Dean of the Conservatory. Specialty is history of Gregorian and Beneventan chant; on the latter, has written authoritative monographs, The Beneventan Chant (1989) and The Exultet in Southern Italy (1996). First Nights: Five Musical Premiers (2000) and First Nights at the Opera (2004), which draw on his famous course, are best known. Recently he is the author of Early Music: A Very Short Introduction (2011) and Capturing Music: The Story of Notation (2015).

Has written numerous books and publications that focus on the discovery, reconstruction, and editing of medieval chant. Member, board of directors, Early Music America. Director, Historical Performance Program at Oberlin Conservatory; director, Five College Early Music Program in Massachusetts; and music director, Castle Hill Festival. Honored by Harvard with a conference called City, Chant, and the Topography of Early Music. He is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres of the French Republic, and an honorary citizen of Benevento (Italy).