Zvi Keren (Hebrew: צבי קרן; born Howard Ralph Kirshenbaum on August 18, 1917, died October 27, 2008) was a New York-born Israeli pianist, musicologist and composer.
Among his favorite pianists: Billy Kyle, AI Haig, André Previn and Bob James.
He conducted much musical activity throughout the US, and served as a pianist and arranger with the bands of Reggie Childs and Ray Kinney; as an accompanist and coach of singers in both jazz and popular music; as an arranger for bands, night-club acts and singers; as a teacher of arranging and composition in schools and privately; as a teacher of piano technique; as a pianist in New York night-clubs and hotels; as a Pianist for the television station WPIX, New York City; as a Conductor-pianist for U.S.O.
(United Service Organizations) during World War II - on which occasion Keren extensively toured continental US and Alaska playing with bands accompanying well known singers.
When Keren drew closer to the traditional Jewish customs, he decided to end his professional activity in the US.
He received his Ph.D., titled “The Sources and Stylistic Development of Israeli Art Music Since 1930”, in 1961 (his advisor being Dr. Wilfrid Dunwell), and subsequently returned to Israel.
In addition, Keren was a member of the publishing committee of the Israeli Composers Union (ICU; 1961–69); a lecturer at the cantorship school headed by Leib Glantz (1965–66); a lecturer in front of music teachers as part of a project organized by the Histadrut (1966–68); one of the leaders of the "Musical Youth" organization (1962); a member of the judging committee for the ACUM composition prizes (1966) and the Liberson competition (1969); a founding member of the Israeli Musicologists Organization.
His composition "Rabbi Isaac Said", inspired by traditional texts from Genesis, for mixed chorus, vibraphone, piano, cello and percussion appeared on an LP record on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Department of Musicology at Bar-Ilan University.
A review of Keren's eighty-year career and many contributions to the Israeli jazz scene can be found in an interview and article written by his daughter Alona Sagee for Min-Ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online.
His daughter Alona carried on the musical tradition of the family and is a professional musician (pianist) and musicologist.
After retiring from Bar-Ilan University in 1986, Zvi Keren divided his activities between Jewish studies and music.