Quick Facts
Biography
Nelson Keyes (August 26, 1928- July 20, 1987) was an American composer and professor of music.
Keyes was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas in 1948 and 1949, where he studied with Wilbur Ogdun and Kent Kennan. He completed additional studies at the University of California, Los Angeles with Arnold Schoenberg from 1950 to 1951. After service with the United States Air Force, Keyes earned a doctorate degree from the University of Southern California in 1967, where he studied with Halsey Stevens and Ingolf Dahl.
Keyes taught composition at University of Southern California and at Long Beach City College. Following these assignments, Keyes moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he served as composer-in-residence for the Louisville Public Schools as part of the Young Composers' Project, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, from 1961 to 1964. Following a teaching position at Kansas State Teacher's College, Keyes returned to Louisville in 1969.
Keyes died in July 1987 of hypothermia while hiking on Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park, Nevada.
Keyes' compositions include a number of works for chamber ensembles, band, orchestra, piano, and stage.
Works
- And Now Abideth... (01/1964)
- 8 by 4 on 2 (or 20)
- A Christmas Card (11/1962)
- All in Green Went My Love Riding (1963–1964?)
- All is Safe… (02/1963)
- All The Things You Are
- And Death Shall Have No Dominion
- Bandances (04/1962)
- Bassooneries (01/1968)
- Bitter Rainbow
- Bridges (01/1971)
- Buies Creek Hues
- Concert Music for Band
- Concertino for Cello and Orchestra (02/1962)
- Concerto for Bass Trombone, Winds and Percussion
- Concerto Grosso (11/1962)
- Dissertation for Orchestra (08/1966)
- Dressed Up (11/1961)
- Euphonic Sounds
- First String Quartet
- Four Love Songs (01/1985)
- Four pieces for elementary strings (10/1961)
- From Broadway with Love to Alberta Allen
- Give You a Lantern (02/1962)
- Hardinsburg Joys (08/1962)
- Hardinsburg Quartet (08/1963)
- Kay's Corner (12/1962)
- Lento and Allegro for String Orchestra
- Mass (1964?)
- Morceau Lyrique (01/1981)
- Music for 12 Flutes
- Music for Cellos : no. 1 (09/1961)
- Music for Cellos : no. 2 (12/1961)
- Music for Cellos : no. 2B (01/1963)
- Music for Monday Evenings (04/1960)
- Night and Morn (11/1961)
- Old Kentucky Home Council March (01/1963)
- Paul's Pleasures (11/1961)
- Reckon with the River (04/1964)
- Sandbags (09/1976)
- Serenade for String Orchestra (11/1961)
- Six Significant Landscapes
- Sonata for Solo Violin
- The Match Girl
- The Owl and the Pussycat
- The Promise of America (12/1964)
- The Sacking of Jeremiah
- Three Expressions
- Three Love Songs (01/1968)
- Trio for Brass (01/1968)
- Two Pieces for Saxophone Trio
- Viola!
- We Have Tomorrow (Part 1) (03/1963)
- We Have Tomorrow (Part 2) (04/1963)
- WHAS Crusade for Children March (08/1962)
- What There Is (12/1961)
- Wide, wide in the rose's side (03/1962)