Te Deum is thrilled to welcome Vermont-based composer and pianist Dr. Keane Southard as the 2025–26 Composer-in-Residence.
Described as “a hugely prolific musician with a wide variety of skill sets” (newmusicbuff.com), Keane Southard (b. 1987) is a composer and pianist who believes deeply in the power of music to be a catalyst for positive change in the world and change how people think, feel, and act. Proclaimed as “a terrific discovery” (Bandworld Magazine) and “highly-professional and well-orchestrated” (Portland Press Herald), his music features a wide range of styles and approaches from traditional to experimental, systematic to free, and sacred to secular, reflecting a belief that creativity is stimulated by exploring and finding value in all aspects of the spiritual and physical worlds.
Keane’s first composition for Te Deum is The Sussex Carol, which will premiere on December 15th & 16 at Carols of Olde. Check out the video below to learn more about the making of this inspiring new work.
About Keane Southard:
Keane earned his Ph.D. in composition at the Eastman School of Music, his M.M. in composition from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and his B.M. in composition and theory from the Conservatory at Baldwin Wallace University. His primary composition teachers include Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, David Liptak, Allen Shawn, Carter Pann, Jeffrey Nytch, Richard Toensing, Daniel Kellogg, Loris Chobanian, and Kenneth Girard, plus additional studies with Samuel Adler, Derek Bermel, João Guilherme Ripper, Stephen Hartke, and Lori Laitman.
