Ken Burns
Engage your audience with Ken Burns' insights from nearly 50 years of filmmaking. His acclaimed works provide unparalleled perspectives on American history.
Photo: Michael Avedon
Photo: Michael Avedon
Why you should book Ken Burns for your next event
- Gain unique perspectives from Ken Burns, a master storyteller with decades of experience crafting impactful narratives and documentaries.
- Benefit from Ken Burns’ storytelling excellence, backed by 17 Emmy Awards, offering unparalleled insights and historical depth.
- Experience a keynote from a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient whose documentaries have defined historical storytelling.
Non-binding request for Ken Burns
Epic Narratives of American History
Transform your event with the unparalleled expertise of a living legend in documentary filmmaking. With nearly 50 years of groundbreaking work—spanning The Civil War, The Vietnam War, and The National Parks—Ken Burns delivers keynotes that offer profound insights and powerful storytelling. His award-winning approach, including 17 Emmys and a Lifetime Achievement Award, guarantees an unforgettable experience that inspires and educates. Book Ken Burns for a keynote that brings history to life and engages your audience like never before.
As a trailblazer in documentary filmmaking, Ken Burns is celebrated for his profound exploration of American history and culture. With nearly 50 years in the field, Keynote Speaker Ken Burns has created some of the most influential and revered documentaries, including The Civil War, The Vietnam War, and The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. His remarkable body of work has garnered 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting his extraordinary contributions to the art of historical storytelling.
Ken Burns' role as a keynote speaker extends beyond mere presentation. His speeches offer a deep dive into historical events, providing audiences with fresh perspectives and invaluable insights. His unique storytelling approach not only engages but also motivates, making complex historical themes accessible and relevant to contemporary issues. This ability to link past events with current challenges is particularly valuable for organizations seeking to inspire and educate their teams.
Booking Ken Burns for your event means investing in a transformative experience that resonates long after the speech ends. His talks are designed to foster meaningful discussions, provoke thought, and inspire action. By incorporating rich historical contexts into his presentations, Ken Burns delivers content that stimulates intellectual curiosity and drives positive change within your organization. Whether you're looking to enhance team cohesion, drive innovation, or simply provide an unforgettable experience, Ken Burns offers a keynote that combines historical depth with contemporary relevance, ensuring a lasting impact on your audience.
Ken Burns, H’24 Keynote Address to Brandeis University's 2024 Graduates
Watch Ken Burns in action!
Keynotes
Keynote by Ken Burns: Old Ghosts and Ancient Tones (Country Music)
This powerful, moving speech digs deep into the history and meaning of country music: its greatest stars and the words and music that touch on universal human experiences.
Keynote by Ken Burns: A History of the World (The Vietnam War)
Burns tries to make sense of the most important and most consequential event in American History since World War II. Here competing viewpoints and perspectives are balanced to give us a chance to finally come to terms with this important conflict.
Keynote by Ken Burns: The Rising Road (The Roosevelts: An Intimate History)
A detailed and intimate look at three hugely influential, but deeply flawed and wounded people, who are Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt—their lives, but also their times.
Keynote by Ken Burns: A Treasure House of Nature’s Superlatives (The National Parks: America’s Best Idea)
Burns discusses the great gift of our national parks. Here both “the immensity and the intimacy of time” merge, as we appreciate what the parks have added to our collective and individual spirit. (Begins with 13-minute clip - intro to the film.)
Keynote by Ken Burns: Sharing the American Experience (The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz)
Ken Burns reminds the audience of the timeless lessons of history, and the enduring greatness and importance of the United States in the course of human events. Incorporating The Civil War, Baseball and Jazz, Burns engages and celebrates what we share in common.
Keynote by Ken Burns: No Ordinary Lives (The War)
Drawing on some of Lincoln's most stirring words as inspiration, this speech engages the paradox of war by following the powerful themes in two of Ken Burns's best known works--"The Civil War", his epic retelling of the most important event in American history, and "The War", his intensely moving story of WWII told through the experiences of so-called ordinary people from four geographically distributed American towns. (Begins with Norah Jones 5-minute “American Anthem” montage clip from the film.)
Keynote by Ken Burns: Mystic Chords of Memory (The Civil War)
The Civil War continues to be the most important event in American history. In this eloquent address, Burns paints both an intimate and bird’s-eye view of the searing events of the years 1861 through 1865 and the war’s profound relevance to us today.
Keynote by Ken Burns: American Lives (Selected biographical films)
This speech combines the biographies of some of Ken’s most fascinating subjects. He shares how biography works, and gives insight into the storytelling process. Two versions are available. Version 1: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Frank Lloyd Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, and Mark Twain. Version 2: Mark Twain, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor), and Jackie Robinson.
Keynote by Ken Burns: On-Stage Conversation/Audience Q&A
This is a less formal, Inside-the-Actors-Studio type of event. Ken responds to questions from moderator on all his films (or film-specific) and issues in history and contemporary American culture. Audience Q&A to conclude if requested.
