Remembering James F. Keene

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 U.S., toured throughout the U.S. 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 U.S., 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 65-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 45 states and on five continents.