Donald Keats
composer · pianist
- May 27, 1929 · New York
- April 27, 2018
- 88 years
About Donald Keats
Donald Keats, 88, American composer.
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Full Biography
|Donald H. Keats (May 27, 1929 – April 27, 2018) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist.
Biography
Keats attended Yale University as an undergraduate, where he studied with Quincy Porter and Paul Hindemith. He completed his MA at Columbia University, where he studied with Otto Luening and Henry Cowell. He attended the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg as a Fulbright Scholar before returning to America. Keats received his PhD from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Dominick Argento and Paul Fetler. He also won two Guggenheim Fellowships (1964–65, 1972–73), an NEA grant, and was a Fulbright scholar (1954–55, renewed 1955-56). He also studied composition at Yale with Henry Cowell.
He taught at Antioch College from 1957 to 1975, and the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music from 1975 to 1999. He also taught at the Aspen School of Music and was visiting professor at the University of Washington from 1969 to 1970. He died on April 27, 2018, at the age of 88.
Important works
- Symphony No.2: (An) Elegiac Symphony (1964)
- Piano Sonata (1971)
- String Quartet #1
- String Quartet #2
- Keats considers his First Symphony as an important piece; both it and his Elegiac Symphony won Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored competitions, resulting in performances by the Kansas City Philharmonic and the Seattle Symphony respectively
- Principal Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Notable students
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Keats
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Donald Keats's archived record and the sources above.
1.Which of these professors did Donald H. Keats study with at the University of Minnesota?
- A.Henry Cowell
- B.Dominick Argentocorrect
- C.Otto Luening
- D.Quincy Porter
At the University of Minnesota, Donald H. Keats studied with Dominick Argento and Paul Fetler.
Source: Biography section
2.Which foundation sponsored the competitions won by the First Symphony and the Elegiac Symphony of Donald H. Keats?
- A.Rockefeller Foundationcorrect
- B.Columbia University Foundation
- C.Fulbright Foundation
- D.Guggenheim Foundation
Both the First Symphony and the Elegiac Symphony won Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored competitions.
Source: Important works section
3.On what date was the American composer Donald H. Keats born?
- A.May 27, 2018
- B.April 27, 1929
- C.April 27, 2018
- D.May 27, 1929correct
The biography explicitly states that Donald H. Keats was born on May 27, 1929.
Source: Biography introduction
4.Where did Donald H. Keats complete his undergraduate studies?
- A.University of Minnesota
- B.Columbia University
- C.Antioch College
- D.Yale Universitycorrect
Donald H. Keats attended Yale University as an undergraduate student.
Source: Biography section
5.At which institution did Donald H. Keats receive his PhD?
- A.Columbia University
- B.University of Washington
- C.University of Minnesotacorrect
- D.University of Denver
Donald H. Keats received his PhD from the University of Minnesota.
Source: Biography section
6.In which city did Donald H. Keats attend the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik as a Fulbright Scholar?
- A.New York
- B.Minneapolis
- C.Hamburgcorrect
- D.Seattle
Donald H. Keats attended the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg as a Fulbright Scholar.
Source: Biography section
7.Which of these individuals was one of Donald H. Keats's teachers at Columbia University?
- A.Otto Lueningcorrect
- B.Quincy Porter
- C.Paul Hindemith
- D.Dominick Argento
At Columbia University, Donald H. Keats studied with Otto Luening and Henry Cowell.
Source: Biography section
8.What is the primary publisher of Donald H. Keats's musical works?
- A.Rockefeller Foundation
- B.Yale Music Publishing
- C.Boosey & Hawkescorrect
- D.Guggenheim Press
The biography identifies Boosey & Hawkes as the principal publisher for Donald H. Keats.
Source: Important works section
9.How many Guggenheim Fellowships did Donald H. Keats receive?
- A.Four
- B.Three
- C.One
- D.Twocorrect
Donald H. Keats won two Guggenheim Fellowships, one from 1964–65 and another from 1972–73.
Source: Biography section
10.In what year was the Piano Sonata by Donald H. Keats composed?
- A.1975
- B.1971correct
- C.1969
- D.1964
The biography lists the Piano Sonata as being composed in 1971.
Source: Important works section
11.Which symphony by Donald H. Keats is specifically titled '(An) Elegiac Symphony'?
- A.Symphony No. 1
- B.Symphony No. 4
- C.Symphony No. 3
- D.Symphony No. 2correct
The biography identifies Symphony No. 2 as (An) Elegiac Symphony.
Source: Important works section
12.At what age did Donald H. Keats pass away?
- A.85
- B.87
- C.89
- D.88correct
Donald H. Keats died on April 27, 2018, at the age of 88.
Source: Biography section
13.Which symphony by Donald H. Keats was performed by the Kansas City Philharmonic?
- A.Fourth Symphony
- B.Second Symphony
- C.Third Symphony
- D.First Symphonycorrect
Donald H. Keats's First Symphony won a competition that resulted in a performance by the Kansas City Philharmonic.
Source: Important works section
14.At which institution did Donald H. Keats teach immediately prior to joining the University of Denver?
- A.Columbia University
- B.Aspen School of Music
- C.University of Washington
- D.Antioch Collegecorrect
Donald H. Keats taught at Antioch College from 1957 to 1975 before moving to the University of Denver.
Source: Biography section
15.During which academic year did Donald H. Keats serve as a visiting professor at the University of Washington?
- A.1975–1976
- B.1969–1970correct
- C.1954–1955
- D.1964–1965
Donald H. Keats was a visiting professor at the University of Washington from 1969 to 1970.
Source: Biography section
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