Currently Music Director of the Reno Chamber Orchestra and Associate Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, Kelly Kuo has consistently championed the development of the next generations of musical talent and demonstrated a commitment to innovative programming, creative initiatives and advocacy of underrepresented voices in the concert hall.

Praised by the Cincinnati Enquirer as “a leader of exceptional musical gifts, who has a clear technique on the podium and an impressive rapport with audiences,” Maestro Kuo brings a dynamic versatility and nuance to a diverse and expansive repertoire of both symphonic and operatic works, including over 100 operas.  His affinity for interpreting contemporary scores has led him to become a trusted musical authority in the development of new works.  Highlights of recent seasons included productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Merola Opera Program, Central City Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Columbus, and the Manhattan School of Music, and concerts with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Sunriver Music Festival, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Olympia Symphony Orchestra.  Upcoming engagements include debuts with Arizona Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Oberlin Opera Theater.

In 2008, Maestro Kuo became the first conductor of Asian descent to lead a performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, making his company debut with Porgy and Bess. He was named Emeritus Artistic Director of the Oregon Mozart Players in 2024 after having served the longest tenure in the organization’s history.  An Oregon native and recipient of a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistant Award, Kuo continues to concertize as a keyboardist as the only pianist to have studied with two pupils of the Russian virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz.