Kelly Lovelady — Conductor Biography [256 words]
Kelly Lovelady is an Australian conductor based in London. She has enjoyed repeat invitations to conduct for Opera Holland Park, City of London Festival, Cluster New Music & Integrated Arts Festival, Cortona Sessions for New Music, Pop Montreal International Music Festival, Greenpeace, Brighton Fringe and the Tait Memorial Trust; and has assisted conductors including Vladimir Jurowski, Otto Tausk, Brad Cohen, Jürg Henneberger, Beatrice Venezi and Richard Bonynge.
Career highlights have included co-conductor with Ilan Volkov at BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; rehearsal conductor to the renowned London Sinfonietta; and Musical Director for the inaugural production by Gothic Opera, Der Vampyr, nominated for Best Opera Production in the 2019 Off West End Awards. Kelly recently served as Assistant Conductor for the world premiere production of the new Michael Hersch/Stephanie Fleischmann opera, Poppaea, for Zeiträume Basel and Wien Modern.
Kelly is the founding Artistic Director of Ruthless Jabiru: a London chamber orchestra dedicated to exploring humanitarian and social justice stories through New music in an effort to promote compassion, sustainability and social consciousness. In 2019 Ruthless Jabiru made its Grimeborn Festival debut with Silk Moth: a fully-staged programme of music by Bushra El-Turk, Liza Lim and Cassandra Miller exploring female dis/empowerment in so-called honour crimes. Previous projects by Ruthless Jabiru have examined narratives around asylum policy, ethical sponsorship in the cultural sector, historic nuclear testing at Maralinga, and an homage to poet and Activist Oodgeroo Noonuccal. The orchestra is currently in development for its debut album showcasing the music of composer Soosan Lolavar for release on the nonclassical label.
“My goal is to lay the groundwork for Never at Sea to be the hero—setting up the ear and emotional state of the audience through everything that comes before it.” Kelly and composer-performer Cat Hope discuss their shared curatorial process for the Ruthless Jabiru/Decibel New Music Ensemble collaboration at the Brunel Museum’s Thames Tunnel shaft in December 2022. 
Kelly Lovelady 