PAUL AUSTIN KELLY  (Co-Director)

Walking Oliver was founded in 2003 by international opera tenor Paul Austin Kelly.  Away from his home in America for large periods of time whilst singing at such venues as La Scala, the New York Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and many other European and North American venues, he began to write poems to email home to his son.  These poems became the original lyrics to some of Walking Oliver's first children's music titles.

With the collaboration of such distinguished UK personnages as Children's Poet Laureate Michael Rosen and noted illustrator Korky Paul, the catalogue of Walking Oliver titles grew quickly over the years, and received favourable critical attention and awards from NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards).

Besides running his children's music company Walking Oliver, the versatile Irish-American Paul can be found teamed up with the legenary pianist Kenny Clayton, the long-time music director for Petula Clark.  Together, they have launched a concert series breathing new life into the time-honoured standards made famous by such artists as Mel Tormé and Tony Bennett, including works by Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern, as well as more contemporary songs. Their first CD, The Song is You, has just been released.  And, Paul has recently been heard across the UK and Ireland as the special guest tenor for celebrated UK soprano Lesley Garrett.

CAROL BORAH KELLY (Co-Director)

Collaborating with husband Paul is Carol Borah Kelly.  A pianist and opera vocal coach, she maintains a busy piano and voice studio in their home in East Sussex, and is also the director of OperaLite, a performing ensemble of singers accompanied by Carol as lively & slightly irreverent compère.   She is a co-director of Walking Oliver, and is responsible for much of the administrative demands of the company.

Paul and Carol live with their son and two dogs (including the famous Oliver) in Lewes, East Sussex.


DOT RUST (Head of Sales)

Hailing from the upper left coast of the US, Dot Rust has enjoyed a career in music spanning a few decades.  An accomplished classical and jazz musician, Dot has performed and recorded throughout the US on horn as well as bass.  It was her gigs in the recording studios, though, that caught her imagination so she set off for LA to supplement her degrees in music with more training in recording engineering. 

After a few years in a recording studio and production facility engineering, mastering and doing administrative work, she landed a job with a leading independent media distributor where she ultimately wound up as a product manager for a division that specialized in family music. 

One of the labels she had the great fortune to work with was Walking Oliver.  And, over the course of a couple years of emails and phone calls, a friendship with Paul and Carol Kelly was forged while working together on marketing and sales for the label.  Now representing Walking Oliver Distribution, Dot finds herself in the enviable position of bringing her love of music and passion for the Family Music movement to the UK.