About The Todd Kelly Quartet

Dr. Todd Kelly is Professor of Trumpet and Director of Jazz Ensembles at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Dr. Kelly teaches trumpet, directs the Bradley Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Combos, teaches Jazz Improvisation, and serves as an advisor for the Music Business program.

Dr. Kelly maintains a busy performing schedule in the Central Illinois area with the BraziLionaires, the Todd Kelly Jazz Quintet, the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra, Four Other Brothers, JC and the Redemption, Inner Light, and as a freelance jazz and classical musician. He has toured throughout the United States with Indian tabla artist Sandip Burman. He has also performed with Wayne Newton, Jerry Lewis, Charo, the Fifth Dimension, Lesley Gore, Steve Lippia, Mannheim Steamroller, and the national touring companies of Hairspray, Wicked, Mary Poppins, The Rat Pack is Back, Billy Elliot, Chicago, White Christmas, Kinky Boots, and The Book of Mormon. He is an artist/clinician for Conn/Selmer in Elkhart, Indiana. He and his wife Kirsten are the proud parents of Connor and Maren.

The Todd Kelly Quintet formed in 2007 performs frequently in Central Illinois, and is comprised of some of the finest jazz musicians in the region. They are dedicated to performing contemporary jazz standards and original music written by members of the group. They are:

• Todd Kelly, trumpet and flugelhorn
• Derel Monteith, piano
• Andy Crawford, bass
• Tom Marko, drums

About Judy Page

A lifetime Peoria resident,  Judy “Page” Adkisson began singing at the age of 5 for family and friends, and in her church’s Children’s Choir. She then continued her singing through school choirs and group talent shows at Carver Community Center. Her only formal vocal training was instruction from her high school music teacher, where she learned harmony and a minimal amount of reading music. Her consideration of a career in vocal music actually started at 15 while in high school. She performed as the lead vocalist with a 4-piece band that entertained in the high school gymnasium after school for “sock hops.”

At the age of 17, she auditioned with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She graduated high school and became an Ikette with the Turner Review, gaining valuable knowledge and experience in the six months that followed. This helped strengthen her desire to become a professional vocalist, and she began to expand her career.

Upon returning to Peoria for a few years and performing with various bands in the area, Judy moved to the West Coast in 1968. Still not giving up the musical gift that she was given, she auditioned and won the job of lead vocalist for a popular band in San Francisco for four years while working as a Reservations Agent for United Airlines. Upon returning to Peoria years later, she continued her singing career as a band vocalist on a part-time basis, performing throughout the Midwest while holding down a job as a Secretary at Caterpillar, Inc. She had finally found her niche as a performer. In this time frame, Judy sang at various music venues as an opening act for recording artists visiting the Peoria area for concerts with long-time musician friend Preston Jackson and his group, Kriss Kross, in the late 1970’s through the 80’s and 90’s.

Judy’s career in music has spanned over 56 years. She currently performs at various venues in and around Peoria, such as the Contemporary Art Center, Two25 at the Mark Twain Hotel, Broken Tree Coffee Shop, Central Illinois Jazz Society events, Peoria Riverfront events, and private venues with longtime guitarist friends Preston Jackson and Steve Degenford. She mainly performs Jazz, the music she was first introduced to when she began vocalizing at home.

About Pei-Yeh Tsai

Pianist Pei-yeh Tsai is orginally from Taiwan. She is currently is the principal pianist for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, New Bedford Symphony, and Peoria Symphony Orchestra. She has doctoral degree from Boston University. Dr. Tsai studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University with Boris Slutsky; subsequently she received a master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. Dr.Tsai’s recent engagements include a premiere of Ketty Nez’s Piano concerto Thresholds with David Martins conducting Boston University Wind Ensemble; concerts with the Atlantic Symphony Chamber Players; and performances with the Boston University Orchestra of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Paul Bowles’ concerto for two pianos and winds. Last year, Dr. Tsai was interviewed by BBC Radio 4 in a program called ‘Soul Music,’ where she talked about the important role Rachmaninoff plays in her life and music.

Dr. Tsai has received first prize in the Aaron Richmond International Piano Competition, New England Chamber Music Ensemble Competition with the Clara Piano Quartet, Baltimore Music Club Piano Competition, fourth prize in the Iowa International Piano Competition, and The Viardo Prize at The Viardo International Piano Competition. Dr. Tsai is also the recipient of numerous awards including two Piano Departmental Awards given by Boston University, the Marie Miller Award from the Women’s Guild in Boston, the Sergio Fiorentino Memorial Award, the Rose Marie Milholland Award, and a Career Development Grant from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

About Derel Monteith

Derel Monteith is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer based in Peoria, Illinois. Derel was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was a competing classical pianist throughout his childhood. He developed an affinity for improvised music during high school, which led him to study jazz in college. He went on to earn a music degree from the University of Miami, where he double-majored in jazz studies and audio engineering and began writing, performing, and recording his own music.

Derel leads the Derel Monteith Trio, which performs his original compositions, instrumental covers of classic rock songs, and jazz standards. Derel’s other primary outlet is fully improvised solo piano. 2019 sees the release of Derel’s debut trio album (Quantity Of Life) and debut solo album (Connemara), both consisting entirely of his original music; visit derel.net for more information.

Derel has performed with Nnenna Freelon, Frank Foster, Vanessa Rubin, Greg Ward, and the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and has studied with the Grammy-winning composer Maria Schneider. Here in Central Illinois, in addition to the Todd Kelly Quintet and Judy Page, Derel has performed with Brianna Thomas, Stephanie Aaron, Preston Jackson, David Hoffman, Glenn Wilson, Chip McNeill, Larry Harms, John Miller, and Dexter O’Neal, among others.

Derel balances his music career with his career as an intellectual property attorney and holds a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.