Known for her expressive versatility and commitment to musical connection, cellist Kelly Knox is an accomplished performer and dedicated educator based in Boston. She is the cellist of the Portland String Quartet, a faculty member at the All Newton Music School, and serves as the Teaching Artistry and CEPS (Community Engagement and Professional Studies) Coordinator at the New England Conservatory.

An active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, Kelly has performed extensively across the United States and internationally in Italy, China, Peru, and Ecuador. Her orchestral experience includes positions with the Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, Peoria Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, and The Orchestra Now. She regularly performs with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist on Chicago’s 98.7 WFMT, at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall, and with the St. Philip Neri Chamber Players performing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major. Her recording and film credits feature an appearance in Bradley Cooper’s Oscar-nominated film Maestro and an orchestral project with viral singer-songwriter JVKE in collaboration with Microsoft.

Kelly is dedicated to community engagement and creating accessible pathways to connection through music. In 2017, she co-founded MúsicaOcupa, an international chamber music festival dedicated to democratizing classical music in Quito, Ecuador. As the Didactic Outreach Coordinator and a Performing Artist, she played a pivotal role in organizing, executing, and performing in concerts and educational experiences that brought classical music into schools, public spaces, and unconventional venues.

With over 18 years of teaching experience, Kelly has shared her love and knowledge of the cello through private lessons, group classes, and masterclasses to students ranging from age 5 to 70+. She completed her pedagogy training in violin and cello with Mimi Zweig, Susan Moses, and Helen Shively Ford at Indiana University’s prestigious String Academy, where she also served as Faculty Cello Instructor. She holds a Performance Diploma and Master’s Degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Peter Stumpf, a second Master’s from Bard College, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.