Keith Brion, Music Director of his own New Sousa Band, has appeared as a frequent guest conductor with nearly all of America's major symphony orchestras and professional bands.  His New Sousa Band, begun in 1986, is a realization of Mr. Brion's dream to re-incarnate the Sousa Band and once again tour America's towns and cities. 

            Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band have toured extensively throughout the United States.   In November 1993, the band played its first theatrical engagement with a one-week appearance at the Christy Lane Theatre in Branson, MO.  In August 1996,the band toured Japan, the first American professional band to go abroad since Sousa’s 1911 World Tour. In 2000, they were presented as featured artists by the Minnesota Orchestra and in 2003 by the Seattle Symphony.  They also appeared at the Music Man Museum in Mason City, IA for the Meredith Willson birthday celebration.     

            The musicians of   the New Sousa Band are chosen  or their ability to transmit the original excitement, style, spirit and ensemble sound of Sousa's Band. They are selected from major orchestras, military bands, university faculties and free-lance musicians. The band wears authentic replicas of t he original Sousa Band uniforms.  Keith Brion and his New Sousa Band are officially and exclusively endorsed by John Philip Sousa Inc., John Philip Sousa IV, President.  Sousa’s marches are exclusively performed in Mr. Brion’s own editions, which emulate the authentic performance practice and sound of Sousa’s Band.

            Mr. Brion and his band debuted in a 1986 PBS TV special The New Sousa Band On Stage at Wolftrap.   Excerpts from this show appear on the Classic Arts Channel.  Mr. Brion has also been seen in the PBS-TV special "If You Knew Sousa" and is seen on BBC TV in London called "Sousa in New York”.

            His recordings with his New Sousa Band include The Original, All-American, SOUSA!  On Delos Records and the Sousa Legacy for Bainbridge Records, recorded with the Rochester Philharmonic and the New Sousa Band.  He has recorded the music of Percy Grainger and Alan Hovhaness for Delos and Naxos, and also the music of Victor Herbert.  He is currently involved in recording the complete band music of John Philip Sousa for Naxos with London’s Royal Artillery Band. Eight volumes of a projected sixteen volume series have been recorded.

            In addition to leading the New Sousa Band, Mr. Brion maintains an active career as an orchestra conductor. He presents his popular Sousa revival concerts with orchestras such as the Boston Pops, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Utah, Minnesota and Milwaukee symphonies. He leads other pops programs as well and has served as pops conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony. Overseas, his orchestral engagements have included the London Concert Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony, and the Gothenburg Symphony.

            Mr. Brion has been a frequent guest conductor of professional bands:  the Stockholm Symphonic Wind Orchestra, New York City's Goldman Band, the Interlochen faculty band and the Allentown Band.  He has also appeared with most of the major service bands, including the Marine Band, Army Band, Army Field Band, Coast Guard Band, the U.S. Army Band of Europe in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Royal Swedish Navy Band. University and school band appearances include Florida State, Michigan State, University of Texas, Ohio State, and the University of Iowa.

            Keith Brion is a former Director of Bands at Yale University, where he led the Yale Band in concerts at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and in an all-Ives program at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.  Prior   to Yale, he was the founder and music director of the North Jersey Wind Symphony and a long-time band educator and music supervisor in the New Jersey public schools.

            He has published thirty editions for band, including the music of Charles Ives, Percy Grainger, John Philip Sousa and D.W. Reeves.  They include a series of twenty-two Sousa publications in collaboration with Loras Schissel, curator of the Sousa collection at the Library of Congress and a recent series of New Sousa BandEditions .

            Mr. Brion's library and offices are located at Erector Square in New Haven CT. He may be reached via e-mail at willowblos@aol.com.  The web address for additional information about the New Sousa Band is newsousaband.com

05-2006