Trombone
Phil Keen
Principal
Phil has been with the Monterey Symphony since 1994. In addition to playing in the MSO he is a member of the Long Beach Symphony, the Riverside County Philharmonic and the Fresno Philharmonic . He is also a member of the Americus Brass Band (a period civil war re enactment brass band) and the Long Beach Municipal Band.
He has a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Long Beach, and a Masters degree in Trombone Performance from the University of Michigan.
His early years on trombone found him performing on the Gong Show (he didn't win) and in his post collegiate years, he could be found performing(goofing off) in Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland Entertainment and touring the country with The Make Believe Brass Quintet.
Other ensembles he has performed with are the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The New York Philharmonic, L.A. Chamber Orchestra, L.A. Opera, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Opera Pacific, Andrea Bocelli, Danny Elfman Live and many other Southern California orchestras, theater orchestras, brass chamber ensembles, ballet and opera companies. In addition he has also recorded over 150 movie and tv soundtracks for many of the major studios in Hollywood. Notably he can be heard on soundtracks from Alice In Wonderland to Ghostbusters, The Secret Life of Pets to Jack Reacher, Cars3 to Pirates of the Caribbean, Agents of Shield to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.
Besides performing, Phil is on the faculties of the California State Universities Fullerton and Northridge, Pomona College, Golden West College and Long Beach City College where he teaches low brass studies.
A frequent performer of all instruments in the low brass family, Phil specializes on the alto, tenor, bass and contra bass trombones, bass trumpet, euphonium and tuba. He lives is southern California with his wife Andrea, a middle school music teacher, and enjoys road bicycle riding in his spare time.