Profile

An accomplished pianist, Kelly Anderson is in high demand as a soloist, accompanist, teacher, adjudicator, and arranger. He has been a winner in numerous competitions, including the Kingsville International Piano Competition, Bolognini Competition, and MTNA and has been a featured soloist with several orchestras, including the Utah Symphony under the direction of Joseph Silverstein. Anderson has received praise for his “mature and intelligent interpretation,” “wonderful command and sweep,” and “beautiful colors and nuances” in recitals given in cities from coast to coast, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Westlake Village, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Anderson teaches in his private studio in Pasadena and at Pasadena City College. His students have won prizes at several competitions, including the Seattle International Competition, the Los Angeles International Young Musician Competition, MTNA Competitions, Enkor, the Glendale Piano Competition, the Colburn Piano Festival and the Southwestern Youth Music Festival. His students were featured with Lang Lang on the ​Tonight Show with Jay Leno​.

Kelly Anderson’s teachers included Stewart Gordon, Gary Amano, Carol Urban-Stivers, Palma Wolverton and his mother. After graduating from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Music degree, Mr. Anderson was honored to be invited to join the faculty as the youngest teacher in the music department, teaching piano literature and keyboard harmony for the next four years before moving to California. He received a Master of Music degree and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Southern California and was voted by the faculty as the department’s “Most Outstanding Student.” The next year he was invited to teach keyboard harmony and piano literature courses at USC.

Anderson enjoys recording for tv and film composers, and has recently recorded for several documentaries, including music by the celebrated composer, Chad Cannon, for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, ​American Factory.​ He has also received wide praise for his many compositions and arrangements. Most recently, he has been working on and publishing arrangements of hymns for various ensembles. Kelly and his wife, Sherice, also a pianist, have five children.