Conductor DENNIS KEENE is Artistic Director of the Voices of Ascension Chorus & Orchestra. Through his many concerts and recordings, his regular guest appearances as conductor and clinician, and his work as Artistic Director of The Dennis Keene Choral Festival, he has emerged as one of the leading choral conductors in the world today. His series of highly acclaimed recordings with the Voices of Ascension on the Delos label has secured international recognition for both conductor and chorus.
Dennis Keene grew up in Los Angeles, where he began to play the organ at a very early age, holding his first church organist position at the age of seven. He moved to New York City to study at The Juilliard School under Vernon de Tar. There, he earned the BM, MM, and DMA degrees and the Gaston Dethier Organ Prize.
Dr. Keene spent the winter of 1977 in Paris studying organ privately with Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, wife of the composer Maurice Duruflé; André Marchal; and André Isoir. He was active as a recitalist until his interest in conducting led him to serious study in that discipline at the Pierre Monteux School for Orchestral Conductors, with Charles Bruck in Paris, and with John Nelson at The Juilliard School. His love for professional choral music can be traced to his work as organist with Gregg Smith, Roger Wagner, and Margaret Hillis.
Maestro Keene's complete retrospective of the works of Maurice Duruflé in 1989 spurred the creation of Voices of Ascension. His many recordings of choral works on Delos International have become the standard for first-ranked ensembles worldwide. He has served on the board of Chorus America, which awarded him its Louis Botto Award for "innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal in developing a professional ensemble of exceptional artistic quality."
One of the world's premier professional choral ensembles, VOICES OF ASCENSION is distinctive for its artistic command of music of all periods and styles. Now in its 16th season under Artistic Director Dennis Keene, the ensemble's concerts and recordings have received unalloyed critical acclaim.
Voices of Ascension's nine recordings with Delos International include such best sellers as Beyond Chant: Mysteries of the Renaissance, The Duruflé Album, Prince of Music: the greatest choral works of Palestrina, and the Berlioz Te Deum. The latest CD, Hear My Prayer, with soprano Hei-Kyung Hong, was released in 2004.
Voices of Ascension performs and records regularly at The Church of the Ascension in New York City's Greenwich Village, where it was founded as an independent organization in 1990. In 2005, the ensemble celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a concert in Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Guest appearances have been with the San Francisco Symphony, EOS Orchestra, the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and at national conferences of major American music organizations.