Edgar Stillman Kelley (1875-1944) was born in Sparta, WI to a musical family; his first teacher was his mother. As a teenager he went to Chicago to study, and from there (like many young Americans) to Germany for advanced work in piano, organ, composition, and orchestration. Returning to the US in 1880, he settled in San Francisco, where he taught, composed, and gave recitals. Kelley subsequently focused on teaching and composing in New York (1886-1892 and 1896-1902) and writing music criticism in San Francisco (1892-1896). For the rest of his career he taught music and composed, first in Berlin (1902-1910), then at the Western College for Women (Oxford, Ohio, 1910-1911) and the Cincinnati College of Music (1911-34). Kelley was a successful composer of music for the stage, symphonies and orchestral suites, and both choral and chamber works. Although influenced by his Germanic training, he was nevertheless an avowed American composer who used his compositions to embody the spirit and sentiment of his native country.