John Keene is Chorus Director of San Francisco Opera. 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 "Green" 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 worked 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 collaborated with composers John Adams, Mason Bates, Carlisle Floyd, Gabriela Lena Frank, Rhiannon Giddens, Gian Carlo Menotti, Thea Musgrave, Huang Ruo, and Bright Sheng as well as conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, John Fiore, Asher Fisch, Riccardo Frizza, Karen Kamensek, Eun Sun Kim, Carlo Montanaro, Ludovic Morlot, John Nelson, Lawrence Renes, Julius Rudel, Donald Runnicles, Giacomo Sagripanti, Patrick Summers, and many others. He has performed in honor of the United States Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur and with Dana Gioia in numerous performances of musical settings of his poems. The producers/stage directors with whom he has worked include Christopher and David Alden, Chris Alexander, Michael Cavanagh, John Copley, Paul Curran, Gordon Davidson, Rosalind Elias, Colin Graham, Lindy Hume, Peter Kazaras, Amon Miyamoto, Emilio Sagi, Graziella Sciutti, Renata Scotto, and Francesca Zambello.
A celebrated vocal coach and teacher, John Keene was 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 Daniela Mack and Lisette Oropesa. 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 broadcast and digital performances 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 including a memorable performance for inmates inside Lorton Prison; 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 longtime adjudicator for 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 principal teacher and mentor was the pioneer teacher of the art of accompanying, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, in whose song classes he partnered fellow student Thomas Hampson at her request. He also studied with Brooks Smith, John Perry, and Natalie Limonick. 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 collaborated with composers John Adams, Mason Bates, Carlisle Floyd, Gabriela Lena Frank, Rhiannon Giddens, Gian Carlo Menotti, Thea Musgrave, Huang Ruo, and Bright Sheng as well as conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, John Fiore, Asher Fisch, Riccardo Frizza, Karen Kamensek, Eun Sun Kim, Carlo Montanaro, Ludovic Morlot, John Nelson, Lawrence Renes, Julius Rudel, Donald Runnicles, Giacomo Sagripanti, Patrick Summers, and many others. He has performed in honor of the United States Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur and with Dana Gioia in numerous performances of musical settings of his poems. The producers/stage directors with whom he has worked include Christopher and David Alden, Chris Alexander, Michael Cavanagh, John Copley, Paul Curran, Gordon Davidson, Rosalind Elias, Colin Graham, Lindy Hume, Peter Kazaras, Amon Miyamoto, Emilio Sagi, Graziella Sciutti, Renata Scotto, and Francesca Zambello.
A celebrated vocal coach and teacher, John Keene was 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 Daniela Mack and Lisette Oropesa. 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 broadcast and digital performances 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 including a memorable performance for inmates inside Lorton Prison; 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 longtime adjudicator for 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 principal teacher and mentor was the pioneer teacher of the art of accompanying, Gwendolyn Koldofsky, in whose song classes he partnered fellow student Thomas Hampson at her request. He also studied with Brooks Smith, John Perry, and Natalie Limonick. 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.