Originally from Ottawa, Kailey Richards is currently completing her Doctorate at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Julia Wedman and Jeanne Lamon. She is also the 2020 recipient of the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Kailey is a graduate of the Master of Historical Performance Program at the University of Toronto and of the Bachelor of Music Program at Indiana University where she studied with Stanley Ritchie, was the recipient of a Premier Young Artist Award, and was named an Indiana University Founders Scholar.
She has performed with many ensembles including the Theatre of Early Music, Talisker Players, Musica Viva Orchestra, Rezonance Baroque Ensemble, Cor Unum Baroque Ensemble, and the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. Notable music festivals include the Tafelmusik Winter Institute, Oberlin Baroque Institute, and the International School of Improvisation with Davide Monti. Kailey is also extremely passionate about education and outreach and currently has her own studio at the Kingsway Conservatory of Music. During her studies at Indiana University, she worked with Dr. Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig in the Indiana University String Academy (where Joshua Bell began his studies). |
She also has worked as the Program Coordinator of the Ottawa-based program, OrKidstra. The El Sistema inspired program is dedicated to empowering children and building community through music. She has combined what she has learned working in the string academy with the teaching philosophies of the Suzuki Institute and the El Sistema programs into her own teaching approach.