Early years Born in
York, England, Kell was awarded a scholarship to the
Royal Academy of Music in London in 1929, where he studied with Haydn Draper until 1932. While still a student he was engaged as principal clarinettist of the orchestra of the
Royal Philharmonic Society. After graduation he was
Sir Thomas Beecham's choice as first clarinet for the
London Philharmonic when the orchestra was formed in 1932. During the Second World War Kell was principal clarinettist of the
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, at a time when its members included many of the country's leading players. When
Walter Legge founded the
Philharmonia Orchestra in 1945 Kell became its principal clarinettist. At its first concert, conducted by Beecham, Kell was the soloist in
Mozart's
Clarinet Concerto. The following year Beecham founded the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and as the Philharmonia in its early days played few concerts, working mostly in the recording studio, Kell was able to serve as principal in both orchestras, as did the horn player
Dennis Brain. In 1948 Kell gave up both positions; he was succeeded at the Philharmonia by Walton, and at the Royal Philharmonic by Brymer.
Later years Kell moved to the United States in 1948, making a successful concert and recording career. Kell's other pupils included the soloist and conductor
Alan Hacker, Kell retired from playing in his early fifties, and returned to the US in 1959, where he was director of
Boosey & Hawkes's band instrument division from 1959 to 1966. He retired in 1966 and died in
Frankfort,
Kentucky, in 1981. In 2007, the
Deutsche Grammophon label issued a multi-CD box set of all of Kell's recordings for the American
Decca company (CD set 477 5280). ==Discography==