Damien Kelly
Irish guitarist Damien Kelly made his first major breakthrough in the Irish classical music scene with the debut EP “Jolt”, created in collaboration with composer Ciarán Farrell. The release went straight to number one in the Irish iTunes classical chart in 2011. In 2012 the duo released a full-length album titled “New Frontiers”, which continues to receive regular national radio play.
Kelly has performed as a soloist at Kings College, Cambridge, the Irish Embassy in London, the American Irish Historical Society in New York City and the National Concert Hall in Dublin. He has won national competitions in Ireland, including the Senior Guitar and Contemporary Music Centre competitions at the Feis Ceoil.
He has taught at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and at Dundalk Institute of Technology. He is currently the Head of the Music Department at the Smith School in New York City and also teaches at Church Street School for Music and Art, New Song Studio and Ezra Guitar.
Kelly completed a BA in Applied Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology in 2009 while studying with Marion Hyland at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, followed by an MMus in Performance in 2010 under Dr. John Feeley at the DIT Conservatory of Music. In 2014 he received a scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music to enter its Professional Studies Program, where he worked with Mark Delpriora. Upon completing his studies he was awarded the Segovia Augustine Award of Excellence, granted annually to one graduating guitarist.
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Performing at Siccas Guitars
Every classical guitarist who performs at Siccas Guitars brings a distinct musical path to the instrument — shaped by years of study, competition experience, and the particular musical tradition they have chosen to inhabit. The classical guitar demands sustained technical commitment and a deep engagement with a repertoire that spans from the Renaissance through to works written for living performers. It is an instrument whose full possibilities only reveal themselves over time.
