DANIEL KEENE, Guitars, Lutes, Vihuela

New York native Daniel Keene performs on an array of historic and modern plucked string instruments including lutes of the 16th century and early 17th century, vihuela, bandora, baroque guitar, 19th century guitar, modern guitar, and extended electric guitars. He has concertized extensively as a soloist, consort player, chamber player, and pit orchestra musician at a multitude of venues in New York and throughout the United States.

Current projects include 19th Century violin and guitar duos with violinist Lisa Casal-Galietta as the Moka Pot Duo, newly composed works for piano and 8-string electric guitar with pianist Dr. Fang-Yi Chu, songs on lute with tenor Drew Ivarson as the Poore Astronomers, lute duets with lutenist Matthew Weinman, and solo programs on lute and vihuela. No stranger to theater, Daniel was the lutenist, guitarist, and arranger for New Place Player’s 2023 Off-Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s Othello which received critical praise.

Daniel is the guitarist for the Heart tribute band Dream of the Archer, The Red Door Chamber Players, and The Samadi-Keene Piano & Guitar Duo with pianist Kristin Samadi. He has performed with Long Island Baroque Ensemble, The Bacheler Consort, New York Continuo Collective, The Golden Williams Duo, the Billy Joel tribute band Captain Jack, Long Island Concert Pops, and many others. Musical theater productions include Into the Woods, Bat Boy, Urinetown, Big, and Rent.

A dedicated teacher, Daniel has been teaching students of all ages and levels in the New York metropolitan area for over twenty years. He has been on the music faculty at SUNY Nassau Community College since 2013; teaching applied guitar, beginning guitar, and music theory, as well as directing the NCC Guitar Ensemble. He has also served on the faculty at Adelphi University where he taught applied guitar, basic guitar, and directed the Adelphi Guitar Ensemble. Daniel’s students have been accepted to
Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, Aaron Copland School of Music, Crane School of Music, Purchase Conservatory, The Hartt School, Ithaca College, and Brooklyn College Conservatory.

Daniel studied early music with Xavier Díaz-Latorre and Jerry Willard, guitar with William Zito and Stephen Leonard, and voice with Jonathan Goodman. Through workshops, master classes, and coachings he has worked on musical interpretation with lutenist Crawford Young, lutenist Grant Herreid, harpsichordist Arthur Haas, violinist Dr. Linda Sinanian, flutist Linda Wetherill, pianist Susan Sobolewski, and guitarists João Luiz, Paul Cesarczyk, and many others. Daniel attended SUNY Stony Brook University, Adelphi University, and SUNY Nassau Community College.