Gary Keller may be best known as the Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he was a full-time professor from 1982 until retiring in 2021. A native of Buffalo, New York, his playing embodies the “upstate tenor” tradition in the mold of Don Menza, Bobby Militello, and Larry Covelli, as well as the “East Coast” jazz mainstream. Gary lists a diverse array of players as prime influences: John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, David Liebman, Michael Brecker, and Gerry Niewood (to name a few).

Gary maintains an active performance schedule.  As a longtime Miami freelance musician, he has recorded with Gloria Estevan, Natalie Cole, Bebu Silvetti, Jen Carlos Canela, José José, and Pimpanella among others. He has played back up for prominent touring artists including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Barry Gibb, Michael Feinstein, Steve Lawrence and Edyie Gormé, Idina Menzel, and scores of others. As a jazz saxophonist Gary cut his teeth with the Woody Herman Orchestra in 1980-81 and has since performed with his own bands and beside many jazz stalwarts, including David Liebman, Jaco Pastorious, The Jaco Pastorious Big Band, John Pizarelli, Maria Schnieder, John Fedchock, Jim McNeely, Manny Album, Billy Hart, Kenny Werner, Adam Nussbaum, Chico O’Farrill, Kenny Wheeler, Clare Fischer, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Shelly Berg, Brian Lynch, Ignacio Berroa, Alan Baylock, the Navy Commodores, the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band, the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, and the American Jazz Philharmonic, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse in France. He has performed as a sideman on several Grammy- winning and Grammy-nominated recordings (Brian Lynch, Ed Calle, Natalie Cole).

Gary has performed at venues on five continents, including the Blue Note Tokyo, Jazz Festivals at North Sea, Montreal, Brosella, Yokahama, Grahamstown SA, and Detroit. He has performed at the Duc Du Lombards in Paris, the Bimhaus in Amsterdam, Ellington’s Jazz Club in Perth Australia, The UMO Jazz Club in Helsinki, and the BeBop Club in Buenos Aires.

Gary’s Debut jazz recording as a leader, Blues For an Old New Age, was awarded a near perfect score from Penguin Jazz, terming it “extremely well done” and “a thinker’s delight.” He has performed as a sideman on several Grammy- winning and Grammy-nominated recordings (Brian Lynch, Ed Calle, Natalie Cole).

In the classical realm Keller has performed/recorded with the Florida Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet Orchestra, Naples Symphony, St. Petersburg (Russia) Symphony, Chamber Music Palm Beach, and the FSOM Symphony and Henry Mancini Institute Orchestras.

Gary is the founder and of the Miami Saxophone Quartet and co-produced the group’s five recordings on its own Fourtitude record label. Gary is a Conn-Selmer endorsed artist and has both written and been the subject of articles in publications including the Saxophone Journal, Woodwind Player, IAJE Journal, and the Saxophone Symposium.

After a forty-year career as a professor at the prestigious Frost School of Music in Miami Florida, Gary’s former students can be found in all corners of the music profession across the globe, as name performers, college educators, freelance musicians, composers, and music business entrepreneurs. He has done artist residencies and clinics at the Royal Academy and Guildhall Schools (London), the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), The Royal Conservatory in the Hagues, Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz), the Amsterdam Conservatory, University of Cape Town (South Africa), and scores of schools across the United States.

Gary has music degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia and the University of Miami. Gary’s influential teachers include John Sedola, Joe Allard, Kirby Campbell, Pat LaBarbara, David Liebman, Bob Mover, Ron Miller, Vince Maggio, and Whit Sidener.