Starting out as a guitarist in his teen years, Keller turned to the piano while attending
Jesuit High School, inspired by the music of
Claude Debussy,
Brian Eno, and
Harold Budd. As a composition student, Keller composed ballet scores and chamber music, including a string quartet premiered by the
Kronos Quartet at the 1986 Festival of New American Music. Keller later studied Film Scoring at
Berklee College of Music under the tutelage of
Pinar Toprak. Keller's first solo recording "The Mask of Memory" (1994) came to the attention of radio producer
Stephen Hill, who included several tracks on a
Hearts of Space program titled "Digital Planet" in 1995. This was followed by a Living Room Concert and feature on
Echoes, whose host
John Diliberto named Keller's second CD "Intermezzo" as one of the Top 25 records of 1996. In total, Keller has released 15 full-length recordings and several EPs and compilations, working with musicians such as cellist
David Darling, guitarist
Jeff Pearce and Keller's own chamber ensemble of strings, woodwinds, percussion, and piano. Keller currently resides in New York City, where he composes music for choreographers such as
Dwight Rhoden, Elisa Monte, Amy Marshall, and Ray Sullivan. Keller's works are administered by
BMI. His 2012 album "The Day I Met Myself" was produced by
Russel Walder; the album won the ZMR Music Award for Best Neo-Classical Album of 2012. Keller and Walder teamed up again in 2015 for their follow-up album "La Strada", which also won the ZMR Music Award for Best Neo-Classical Album of 2015. Keller's work "A Star in a Stoneboat" (from his album "Across the Sky") was featured on Season 13, Episode 9 of
So You Think You Can Dance, in a piece choreographed by
Tyce Diorio. Keller's 2021 album "Shimmer" was named CD of the Month for October 2021 on the syndicated radio program
Echoes. == Albums ==