Kelly Hall-Tompkins: The Honorary Doctorate and Commencement Speech at the Manhattan School of Music was One of the Most Extraordinary Experiences of My Life!

It has been a very exciting season in my career, at Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and beyond!  I have now played close to 200 shows!  As time goes by, I am enjoying the opportunity to explore deeper levels of nuance, collaboration and interaction with our Music Director/Orchestrator Ted Sperling and fellow musicians and especially with the actors on stage, particularly Danny Burstein and Jessica Hecht. The violin solos help to bring to life several key and poignant moments in the drama and, for me, the connection between us is often electrifying!  I'm also enjoying a close collaboration with my co-Fiddler, dancer Jesse Kovarsky.   This past week, one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life was to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music and also to give the commencement speech to a packed Riverside Church. I was honored to share the momentous occasion with fellow honorees F. Paul Driscoll and Eric Owens (in absentia).  I'd love to share with you links to my speech and all recent news features.  Please see below. I also had the wonderful opportunity to lead a "Live from Lincoln Center" Broadcast with Lang Lang as well as the 2016 Lincoln Center Benefit Anniversary of the amazing Adam Guettel score "The Light in the Piazza".  THANK YOU for continuing to watch my "Imagination" Music Videos, which now have over 1,000,000 total views on You Tube!! L'Chaim! Kelly