Meet Dr. Whitney Kelley
Degrees and Experience
- D.M.A., Flute Performance and Pedagogy (University of Colorado at Boulder)
- M.M., Flute Performance and Pedagogy (University of Colorado at Boulder)
- B.M., Flute Performance (University of North Carolina School of the Arts)
Biography and Professional Achievements
Dr. Whitney Kelley is Principal Flutist of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and serves as the flute instructor at Colorado Christian University. As a performer, educator, and pedagogue, her career bridges the concert stage and the classroom, shaped by a belief that artistic excellence and meaningful teaching go hand in hand. Whether performing, teaching, or speaking, she is committed to cultivating musicians who pursue their craft with curiosity, purpose, and joy.
Praised by the Winston-Salem Journal for her "considerable technique," Dr. Kelley has performed throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral artist. She has collaborated with renowned musicians including Sir James Galway, Academy Award-winning composer Dave Grusin, and Latin Grammy Award-winning jazz flutist Nestor Torres. Her orchestral and festival appearances include the Ravinia Summer Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, Cheyenne Symphony, Bavarian Philharmonic Choir, Denver Pops, Jefferson Symphony, and Longmont Symphony Orchestra. As a concerto soloist, she has performed both the substantial Nielsen Flute Concerto and the virtuosic Liebermann Flute Concerto, works that reflect the breadth of her artistic interests and expressive range.
Teaching lies at the heart of Dr. Kelley's work. In addition to maintaining a thriving private studio and teaching at Colorado Christian University, she teaches on the faculty of the Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute and has served as clinician, lecturer, and adjudicator for students and educators across the country. Her research and writing on flute performance and pedagogy have been published in the National Flute Association Pedagogy Anthology Vol. 2, American Suzuki Journal, Colorado Flutist, and Flute Examiner.
Drawing from both Suzuki training and doctoral study in flute performance and pedagogy, Dr. Kelley has developed a philosophy of teaching that values careful listening, artistic expression, technical excellence, and lifelong growth. She believes that music is one of God's great gifts, entrusted to us to cultivate with wisdom, creativity, discipline, and joy. Because of this, her desire is not simply to prepare accomplished musicians, but to help students grow into thoughtful artists, faithful stewards, and mature disciples who pursue truth, goodness, and beauty for the glory of God and the good of others.
Dr. Kelley earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Flute Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied with Christina Jennings. Additional teachers include Rebecca Paluzzi, Dr. Shelly Binder, Dr. Tadeu Coelho, and Suzuki flute founder Toshio Takahashi.
Publications
- Kelley, W. (2016, September 25). 4 questions for Whitney Kelley: The Suzuki method, advanced topics for beginners, and more. Flute Examiner.
- Kelley, W. (2014). Cultivating beautiful hearts in the face of adversity [Conference lecture]. 16th Biennial SAA Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
- Kelley, W. (2013). Learning more than music: The influence of the Suzuki method in the life and career of Dr. Whitney Kelley. American Suzuki Journal, 41(4).
- Kelley, W. (2013). CD review: Jinju by Laura Larson, flute. American Suzuki Journal, 41(3).
- Kelley, W. (2013). The resilient musician: Developing student resilience in the college/conservatory music studio [Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado].
- Kelley, W. (2012). An introductory learning assessment for studio music teachers: Two-part activity and evaluation [Pedagogy thesis, University of Colorado].
- Kelley, W. (2012). Practice what you think: Strengthening musical learning through mental strategies. National Flute Association Pedagogy Anthology, 2.
- Kelley, W. (2011). Practice what you think: The value and application of mental strategies in practice and performance of programmatic music [Master’s thesis, University of Colorado].
Faith and Learning
Dr. Whitney Kelley believes that faith and learning are inseparable pursuits of truth. Because all truth belongs to God, the study of music is more than the development of technical skill; it is an opportunity to cultivate wisdom, discipline, creativity, and wonder in response to the God who created beauty itself. In the flute studio, she seeks to help students develop the curiosity, discernment, and confidence to think musically, practice intentionally, and communicate with artistry and purpose. Through the study of technique, repertoire, listening, collaboration, and performance, students are challenged to pursue excellence with humility while growing in wisdom, character, and skill.
Scripture reminds us, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Peter 4:10, ESV). Dr. Kelley desires to cultivate musicians who recognize that their abilities are gifts entrusted to them by God and who approach their work with gratitude, integrity, and joy. Her hope is that students would leave not only as stronger musicians, but as thoughtful, discerning, and faithful people who seek truth, delight in beauty, and use their gifts to serve others and glorify God.