(Sean) Michael Keelan began his career with the professional orchestras of
Lincoln and Omaha in his native Nebraska, as well as his own musical family, the
Keelan Family Musicians & Friends Holiday Concerts. His early studies were with
Morris Collier. He received a BM in violin performance at Baldwin-Wallace
College’s Conservatory of Music (Berea, OH) under the tutelage of Dr. Julian
Ross and served as a teacher of upper strings for the preparatory department.
His MM degree is from the University of Maryland (College Park), where he
studied with Dr. Elisabeth Adkins, associate concertmaster of the National
Symphony Orchestra. He played concurrently as a first violinist in the Fairfax
Symphony, Washington, D.C.’s leading regional professional orchestra. He has
also studied with Anton Miller (violin) and on an academic basis with Louise
Zeitlin (viola) and Dr. Edward Maclary (conducting).
Directly upon receiving his Masters of Music Performance degree he was invited
to join the Wausau (Wisconsin) Conservatory of Music faculty in 2004 as
Artist/Instructor of Upper Strings and director of the Wausau Area Youth
Symphony. He left there in summer 2008 and relocated in Green Bay to commence a
private teaching practice of upper strings in both Green Bay and Milwaukee.
In autumn of 2006, he was selected to be concertmaster of the Green Bay Symphony
Orchestra after being acting CM for several years. He is now in his sixth year
with that ensemble. Michael has served as a clinician for Lawrence University’s
Academy of Music and the Green Bay Symphony Youth Orchestras. He also appeared
as concertmaster and soloist with the Wausau Symphony while living there. His
solo performances have been aired on Nebraska and Wisconsin public radio.
In October 2008 he was selected to be principal second violin of the Fox Valley
Symphony Orchestra in Appleton, Wisconsin, which he coordinated with his
duties in Green Bay's symphony. In February, 2011, Michael appeared as guest soloist with the Sioux City symphony orchestra playing the difficult Red Violin Chaconne by John Corigliano. In spring 2011 he presented a concert in Augusta, Georgia and repeated it in Berea, Ohio. Michael returned to the Lincoln-Omaha area in spring 2011 where he is the strings professor at Concordia University in Seward, NE and a freelance violinist with the Omaha Symphony and Opera/Omaha. He has served as guest concertmaster for Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra and is also a host announcer on statewide NET Radio.
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