Dr Kat Kelly

Kat Kelly is a passionate piano teacher and dedicated music educator with a deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians. She serves as a board member for the Katy Music Teachers Association (KMTA) and was honored as the KMTA Teacher of the Year in 2022. Kat’s extensive experience as both a teacher and performer has shaped countless students, many of whom have gone on to achieve remarkable success in the music world. Kat is the pianist for the Maydell Jenks Elementary Jazzy Jags Choir and actively contributes to the vibrant musical community. She is particularly proud of her students’ achievements.

One of her piano students, a band director, was named Louisiana State’s Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2023 and was a finalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year award in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Another of her students received a Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) National Gold Medal for their piano exam, the highest mark in the country on the RCM exam. In addition to her teaching, Kat is also the RCM coordinator for Wright Music Academy, where she enjoys introducing young children, including pre-K students, to the fundamentals of music. She has also mentored former students who have gone on to establish their own successful piano studios, with many of them achieving RCM awards of their own.

Kat holds both a Master's and Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California, where she acted as a teaching assistant for a few years until graduating in 2005. During her time in Southern California, she taught piano at a private liberal arts college for eight years, where she shaped the careers of numerous aspiring musicians. With a wealth of experience both in the classroom and in performance, Kat continues to inspire her students to excel and embrace the joy of music.