Born and raised in the Canadian Prairies near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Keith Dyrda is a celebrated trombonist who has performed throughout the world in all four hemispheres. In 2010, at age 21, he joined the world-renowned Canadian Brass, succeeding founding member Gene Watts.
From 2015–2026, Keith was also a member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, regularly occupying each of the orchestra’s three trombone chairs and performing on a variety of low brass instruments including alto, tenor, and bass trombones, tenor tuba and euphonium, and bass trumpet. During the 2022/23 season, Keith served as both Acting Principal Trombone of the WSO and trombone instructor at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music.
Keith also joined the Winnipeg Youth Orchestras as a conductor in the fall of 2019, eventually leading two ensembles within the 101-year-old organization of which he was once a longtime student.
Since 2017, Keith has also been a member of the Canadian National Brass Project, a large brass ensemble comprised of musicians from numerous Canadian orchestras that has recorded extensively and performed across the country. As a substitute musician, Keith has performed with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver, and Quebec, as well as Orchestra Iowa, Chicago Lyric Opera, the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, and Music of the Baroque.
He can also frequently be found on stage with Winnipeg’s Jazz Orchestra, Dirty Catfish Brass Band, and Northern Brassworks. Keith’s playing has been featured on recordings by many Winnipeg-based artists, including Begonia, Matthew Peters, Yes We Mystic, and Steve Bell.
Keith has performed as a soloist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble. He has given recitals at the Orford Arts Centre in Quebec, the Women’s Music Club of Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Music Festival Gala.
In 2013, as part of the 60th anniversary commemoration of the Korean War Armistice, Keith appeared as a soloist with the World Peace Orchestra for Korea, performing in Seoul, Busan, and at the Demilitarized Zone.
His awards include:
Keith holds a Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, as well as a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
His primary teachers include Michael Mulcahy (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), James Box (Montreal Symphony Orchestra), and Steven Dyer (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra).
Keith is a Vincent Bach performing artist.
