Susan Kelly
Director of Music
Since 1999, our church has been privileged to have Susan M. Kelly as our Director of Music, conducting the Adult and Teen Choirs. Our congregation has been singing her praises – often in perfect four-part harmony – ever since. Her joyous enthusiasm for “all things music” has helped cultivate a full and rich music program within our church, offering a variety of musical styles and presentations for our services.
A native of Plains, Pennsylvania, Susan is a summa cum laude graduate of Wilkes University with degrees in Music Education and English Education. While at Wilkes, Susan was president of the Wilkes chapter of MENC, the national association for music education, and president of the Pennsylvania Division of Collegiate MENC. In 1999, she completed a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance at Temple University, where she was selected to be the conducting apprentice of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. Following graduation, Susan served as a one-year visiting instructor of music at Bloomsburg University.
For five years, Susan taught chorus and general music for grades 7-12 at Mid Valley Secondary Center, where, under her direction, the program grew from 25 to more than 200 singers encompassing five choirs, including her award-winning Varsity Women’s Choir. In 2005 she became the Director of Choirs at Abington Heights High School, where she conducts the 170-voice Concert Choir, the Women’s Ensemble, the Men’s Ensemble, and the Mixed Ensemble, and is music director for the musical theatre productions. All choirs have consistently received superior ratings in choral adjudications, and the Concert Choir was invited to perform with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic during their 2009-2010 season.
Susan is also the Director of Children’s and Youth Programs of The Choral Society of NEPA and conductor of its Cantare Choir; is a member of the eight-voice professional vocal ensemble The Lyric Consort; has served on the faculty of the Wilkes University Community Conservatory as a voice instructor and on the summer faculty of the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary; has been a guest conductor for the Zone 6 Area All-State Women’s Chorus of NYSSMA and PMEA District 9 Song Fest; and has served as the ACDA-PA state chair of Repertoire and Standards for Middle-School and Junior-High School Choirs. Currently, she serves as ACDA-PA state secretary and state conference registrar.
She lives in Scranton with her husband, Dr. Alan Baker, who is also an accomplished musician and music educator, and two cats, Lili and Grayson.