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James Keene Obituary
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JAMES F. KEENE OBITUARY
James F. Keene retired from the University of Illinois in 2008, where he held the titles of director of bands and Brownfield Distinguished Professor of Music. Appointed in 1985, he was only the fourth to hold the director of bands position since 1905.
During his tenure at Illinois, the Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony, under his direction, were selected to perform for every major music conference in the US, toured throughout the US and Europe, and his ensembles performed in America’s most prestigious concert halls including several appearances at historic Orchestra Hall in Chicago, as well as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York.
His ensembles produced an extensive recording series on several labels. These recordings have been broadcast on National Public Radio in the US, as well as such diverse places as the United Kingdom, Tokyo, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Sydney and on Vatican Radio. Prof. Keene was past-president of the American Bandmasters Association and served as chairman of the board of directors.
He was a past-president of the National Band Association, having previously held several other NBA offices. Additionally, he was a member of the board of directors of the historic Goldman Memorial Band of New York City as well as a frequent guest conductor of that iconic ensemble.
For several years, he was chairman of the ABA/Ostwald Composition Contest and was a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Band Research. Up until his death, he served on the board of directors of the John Philip Sousa Foundation.
In addition to membership in several professional and honorary societies, Prof. Keene was an Evans Scholar, past-president of the Champaign Rotary Club, and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary International Foundation. In 1993, he was named honorary member of the board of directors of the International Percy Grainger Society and was presented with the coveted Grainger Medallion in recognition of his noted performances of Grainger’s music in recordings and on five continents.
In 2002, he was named honorary life member of The Texas Bandmasters Association, only the fifth person so honored in their sixty-five-year history, and in 2009, he was installed into the Bands of America Hall of Fame in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2013, he was honored as International Outstanding Bandmaster of the year by Phi Beta Mu in a ceremony at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and in 2018, he was presented with The Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor.
Professor Keene earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan, where his major professors included Dr. William D. Revelli, Elizabeth Green and Larry Teal. Previous to his appointment at the University of Illinois, Professor Keene taught at all levels, including building nationally-recognized programs at East Texas State University (now Texas A & M–Commerce) and at The University of Arizona.
He was in constant demand as conductor, clinician, and adjudicator of bands and orchestras, appearing in those capacities in forty-five states and on five continents. Jim Keene’s true loves were his wife Alice, their son Sean, his two granddaughters, every aspect of teaching and making music, mentoring future music educators, and the game of golf.
He grew up in a rough neighborhood in Detroit but was resourceful and found a way to earn money by caddying at the Western Golf and Country Club in Redford, Michigan. Because of his skill and work ethic as a caddy, he was awarded an Evan’s Scholarship which provided him full tuition and housing at the University of Michigan. He loved the integrity and history of the game. That integrity clearly carried over into his teaching and conducting. In retirement, Jim was invited to become a member of the Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Dornoch, Scotland, a membership he maintained for the last eight years.
Jim leaves behind his wife of forty-eight years, Alice Keene; son, Sean Patrick Keene; and granddaughters, Kylie Charra Keene and Olivia Grace Keene. He is also survived by his sister, Phyllis Keene Kuzdel. Jim is predeceased by his parents, Orville and Lucille Keene; sisters, Patricia Keene and Janet Keene Connally; and brother, Jerome Keene.
If you wish to honor the memory of Professor Keene and help provide new music for future generations of bands, please consider donating to the University of Illinois Foundation for the benefit of the James F. Keene Bands Commission Fund.
