"Mr. ICVT" Marvin Keenze

In recognition for his many dedicated years to the Association, NATS will honor Marvin Keenze with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 55th National Conference this week in Las Vegas. As NATS embarks on new international initiatives in celebration of its 75th anniversary, it is fitting for Keenze to be recognized for his founding efforts to draw NATS into an international realm. Since 1990 he has been International Coordinator for NATS and Chairman of the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) and has encouraged the formation of member associations and continuing education opportunities for singing teachers, singers, choral conductors and voice specialists. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given at the NATS Gala Celebration Banquet on Monday, June 25, 2018.

Marvin Keenze is Professor Emeritus of Voice and Pedagogy at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University (Princeton, NJ) where he taught for 35 years. He founded and directed the Westminster Voice Resource Center and Laboratory and coordinated the Master Teachers and Singers Week. He has also taught at the University of Delaware, Swarthmore College, and for Boston University’s Young Artists Program at Tanglewood. As a singer, choral conductor, teacher, pianist, and adjudicator he has visited 54 countries around the world. He has adjudicated the Metropolitan Opera district and regional competitions, the Australian Opera competitions, the NATS and National Opera Association competitions and voice competitions in Canada, New Zealand, and Slovenia. He is a recipient of the Voice Foundation/NATS Van Lawrence Award for his work in voice pedagogy and research. He is a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing, NATS (1970), and holds honorary memberships in the New York Singing Teachers Association, the Choral Conductors Association of Croatia (HUZ) and in associations that include Brazil, Australia, Iceland, Slovenia, and France. Since 1990 he has been International Coordinator for NATS and Chairman of the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) and has encouraged the formation of member associations and continuing education opportunities for singing teachers, singers, choral conductors and voice specialists. He maintains a private voice studio in Philadelphia and is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of NATS.