Antony and Cleopatra, world premiere San Francisco Opera, with Amina Edris, John Adams, Eun Sun Kim, John Keene, Gerald Finley
John Keene was appointed Chorus Director of San Francisco Opera in 2022 to join with Music Director Eun Sun Kim in guiding the musical excellence of the company as it enters a second century of artistic achievement. Previously he was Head of Music and Chorus Master at Seattle Opera where he made his conducting debut in 2016 and was Assistant Conductor for the final presentation of Stephen Wadsworth's production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. Prior to Seattle he was Head of Music and Chorus Master at Florida Grand Opera where he collaborated with Plácido Domingo, Helen Donath, Marcello Giordani, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sherrill Milnes, Renata Scotto, and Bryn Terfel. During his time at FGO Maestro Keene also served as Head of the Young Artist Studio and appeared as both pianist and conductor.
Previously for San Francisco Opera he was a faculty member of the Merola Opera Program and conducted Western Opera Theater’s thirtieth anniversary national tour of Il barbiere di Siviglia in an acclaimed production by John Copley. He has worked with composers John Adams, Mason Bates, Carlisle Floyd, Gabriela Lena Frank, Gian Carlo Menotti, Thea Musgrave, and Bright Sheng as well as conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, Asher Fisch, Riccardo Frizza, Carlo Montanaro, Ludovic Morlot, John Nelson, Lawrence Renes, Julius Rudel, Donald Runnicles, Giacomo Sagripanti, and Patrick Summers, among many others. He has performed in honor of the Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur and collaborated with Dana Gioia in numerous performances of musical settings of his poems.
A celebrated vocal coach and teacher, John Keene has been a member of the opera faculty at the Mannes College of Music and has presented masterclasses in vocal repertoire, opera, and accompanying across the United States. A mentor to emerging artists over the past three decades, former students include acclaimed artists Lisette Oropesa and Daniela Mack. As accompanist and chamber musician he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, and in many performances for radio and television with artists such as Jamie Barton, Christine Brewer, Gregory Kunde, Angela Meade, Lisette Oropesa, and countless others. Recordings include the complete Italienisches Liederbuch of Hugo Wolf and the accompaniments to G. Schirmer’s anthology Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias, as well as Der Ring des Nibelungen recorded live at Seattle Opera for which he served as musical advisor. For five seasons he toured as recital partner to the baritone Ben Holt; they can be heard together on a recording of live performances issued to benefit the Ben Holt Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Juilliard School of Music. He is a frequent adjudicator of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
John Keene is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he was twice awarded highest honors, first as solo pianist and again as accompanist. His teachers included John Perry, Brooks Smith, Natalie Limonick, and the pioneer teacher of the art of accompanying, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, in whose song classes he partnered baritone Thomas Hampson at her request. While still a student he accompanied soprano Johanna Meier, mezzo Gloria Lane, violinists Oscar Shumsky, Sally O'Reilly, Eudice Shapiro, and Pamela Frank, and cellists Gabor Rejto and Eleonore Schoenfeld. A former cellist himself, he became the youngest-ever member of his hometown Lancaster Symphony Orchestra at age twelve.
Previously for San Francisco Opera he was a faculty member of the Merola Opera Program and conducted Western Opera Theater’s thirtieth anniversary national tour of Il barbiere di Siviglia in an acclaimed production by John Copley. He has worked with composers John Adams, Mason Bates, Carlisle Floyd, Gabriela Lena Frank, Gian Carlo Menotti, Thea Musgrave, and Bright Sheng as well as conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, Asher Fisch, Riccardo Frizza, Carlo Montanaro, Ludovic Morlot, John Nelson, Lawrence Renes, Julius Rudel, Donald Runnicles, Giacomo Sagripanti, and Patrick Summers, among many others. He has performed in honor of the Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur and collaborated with Dana Gioia in numerous performances of musical settings of his poems.
A celebrated vocal coach and teacher, John Keene has been a member of the opera faculty at the Mannes College of Music and has presented masterclasses in vocal repertoire, opera, and accompanying across the United States. A mentor to emerging artists over the past three decades, former students include acclaimed artists Lisette Oropesa and Daniela Mack. As accompanist and chamber musician he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, and in many performances for radio and television with artists such as Jamie Barton, Christine Brewer, Gregory Kunde, Angela Meade, Lisette Oropesa, and countless others. Recordings include the complete Italienisches Liederbuch of Hugo Wolf and the accompaniments to G. Schirmer’s anthology Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias, as well as Der Ring des Nibelungen recorded live at Seattle Opera for which he served as musical advisor. For five seasons he toured as recital partner to the baritone Ben Holt; they can be heard together on a recording of live performances issued to benefit the Ben Holt Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Juilliard School of Music. He is a frequent adjudicator of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
John Keene is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he was twice awarded highest honors, first as solo pianist and again as accompanist. His teachers included John Perry, Brooks Smith, Natalie Limonick, and the pioneer teacher of the art of accompanying, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, in whose song classes he partnered baritone Thomas Hampson at her request. While still a student he accompanied soprano Johanna Meier, mezzo Gloria Lane, violinists Oscar Shumsky, Sally O'Reilly, Eudice Shapiro, and Pamela Frank, and cellists Gabor Rejto and Eleonore Schoenfeld. A former cellist himself, he became the youngest-ever member of his hometown Lancaster Symphony Orchestra at age twelve.