IRISH Chamber Orchestra’s CEO of two decades, John Kelly has announced his retirement. He leaves a structure and root of notable strength, 2007 having secured Government funding for a €3.5 million base for the ICO at UL. Internationally, the orchestra has enjoyed an exalted series of partnerships with conductors, composers and virtuoso musicians. The Hungarian Gabor Takacs-Nagy is signed as artistic partner for three years from 2013 and Jorg Widmann is principal guest conductor and artistic partner.
Tributes have flowed to the able Kelly, among them those from ICO chair Michael Buckley and his deputy, Dr Edward Walsh. Perhaps the people who know him best are those who worked with him on a daily basis for the last 19 years, orchestra members and management. Charlotte Eglington, marketing supremo, observed, “John made the decision at the beginning of the year that he wanted to pursue other things and he still remains hugely committed to us. He has left us a lasting legacy with the ICO studio – a home we would not have achieved without his tenacity. We will miss him greatly!
