|
Keith Allen was born and educated in London - he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, studying clarinet with Basil Tchaikov and piano with Bernard Roberts. He subsequently undertook post-graduate studies in Education at Birmingham University; has been awarded a Fellowship of Trinity College, London, and also holds a Bachelors degree from Kingston University and a Masters degree from Thames Valley University. He played clarinet and saxophone in numerous orchestras, and has worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was the Saxophone Tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire and also held various posts with Birmingham Education Department, including being the Head of Music Service for the city.
Keith Allen founded the 45 strong Birmingham Symphonic Winds in 1992 to meet the demand of players in the area wanting to perform with a high quality wind ensemble. Since then BSW has represented the UK at the 1997 WASBE Conference held in Schladming, Austria, and performed a Gala Concert at the 1999 RNCM International Wind Festival in Manchester, and again in 2004. At Easter 2000, BSW gained First Prize at the 4th International Wind Band Festival in Strasbourg, France. In December 2003, BSW were in Chicago, as the first UK ensemble ever to perform a concert at the prestigious Midwest Clinic. BSW were invited to perform at the 2007 WASBE Conference in Killarney, Ireland, and have also been invited to present a programme of British music by Distinguished Concerts International New York at the Lincoln Center, New York in April 2011. BSW has been presenting its own concert series annually at the prestigious CBSO Centre in Birmingham since 1998.
Keith Allen is an experienced conductor and adjudicator who has been working with a wide range of orchestras, choirs and youth ensembles for a number of years. He has conducted at many of the major concert halls in the UK, including the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London; Fairfield Hall, Croydon; Symphony Hall and Town Hall in Birmingham; The Sage Gateshead. As well as being an accomplished woodwind and keyboard player, Keith Allen has always retained an active interest in vocal music and has been the Musical Director for over 40 shows.
Keith Allen has been responsible for many premiere performances by British, American and European composers (Malcolm Arnold, Benjamin Britten, David Bedford, Mark Camphouse, Nigel Clarke, Michael Daugherty, Jonathan Dove, Martin Ellerby, Kenneth Hesketh, Søren Hyldgaard, Jay Kennedy, David Maslanka, David Matthews, Mike Mower, Geoffrey Poole, Philip Sparke, Kit Turnbull and Guy Woolfenden) both in this country and abroad, and has worked with a number of distinguished soloists, including Katya Apekisheva (piano), Richard Baker (broadcaster), Alison Balsom (trumpet), Juliette Bausor (flute), David Childs (euphonium), Robert Childs (euphonium), Jack Gibbons (piano), Evelyn Glennie (percussion), Philip Mead (piano), Linda Merrick (clarinet), John Nettles (actor), Craig Ogden (guitar), Simone Rebello (percussion), Owen Slade (tuba), Frank Wibaut (piano) and Sarah Williamson (clarinet).
Keith Allen is the Musical Director of Birmingham Symphonic Winds, Director of ncbf (National Concert Band Festival), Artistic Director of the London International Wind Band Festival. He has conducted Solihull Youth Wind Ensemble since May 2004 and in September 2005 was appointed conductor of Katabatic Winds, the new regional youth wind ensemble based at The Sage Gateshead. His busy schedule includes adjudicating at a numerous music festivals across the UK and also Music for Youth, plus tutoring on the annual European Youth Summer Music Course. At the end of 2001, he spent a month conducting and promoting British music in Australia and from 1999 - 2004 he was the Consultant Editor for the Faber Music Wind Band Series. He is a regular visitor to American Universities conducting British repertoire and in March 2006 presented a lecture at the CBDNA Conference at the NorthWestern University, Illinois and has conducting engagements in the USA with Minnesota Intercollegiate Honors Band, University of Minnesota Duluth Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Twin Ports Wind Orchestra in February 2011.
Keith Allen M.Mus BA FTCL ARCM PGCE
|
