ABBA

Flautist and piccolo player from London, England, who attended the Guildhall School of Music and studied under William Bennett, Maxence Larrieux, and Judith Pearce.

He was a founding member of the Elysian Wind Quintet. In 1980, he joined the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. He became Principal Piccolo in 1982 and served as Chairman of the Orchestra from 1990 to 2004.

His discography is impressive. It includes: Eric Serra’s original soundtrack from Atlantis; The Big Country; Holst: Quintets/Jacob: Sextet; Nigel Kennedy’s Kafka; Lawrence of Arabia; Les Miserables: The Complete Symphonic Recording; Gidon Kremer’s Out of Russia; Marti Webb’s Performance; and, Richard Strauss – Complete Works for Wind Ensemble.

He has appeared on the small screen in the documentaries, In Rehearsal: Christoph von Dohnanyi with the Philharmonia Orchestra and The Phil.

Andrew Downes penned his “Sonata for Piccolo and Piano, Op. 74” with Keith in mind, and Keith and pianist Judith Keaney delivered its world premiere on 2^nd August 2000 at the Stratford-upon-Avon International Flute Festival.

In 1992, he became Professor of Piccolo at the Royal Academy of Music; in 2002, he became Head of Woodwind. He has also taught master classes at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

The Philharmonia had the honour of performing at the wedding of the Duchess of Cornwall and the HRH Prince of Wales at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on 9^th April 2005.

On 26^th November 2009, he conducted the Royal Academy Symphonic Wind Ensemble in the world premiere of Martin Georgiev’s “Verklarung (Homage to Richard Strauss and in Memory of the Composer’s Grandmother Maria for 13 Winds)”.

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