Professional Profile
Richard "Rick" Keller is an internationally recognized saxophonist, composer, producer, educator, and published author whose career spans four decades and four continents. Born in North Syracuse, New York, he began on accordion at age four before discovering the saxophone in fifth grade — a defining moment that would shape five extraordinary decades of music.
With fluent German and 18 years based in Munich, a celebrated studio career in Los Angeles, and now a position at the forefront of music education in Las Vegas, Keller represents the rare convergence of world-class performance, innovative composition, sophisticated production, and genuine academic authority. He is the complete Renaissance music professional.
A 70-minute, 14-track suite of original compositions paying tribute to the jazz legends who shaped a lifetime of music — Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, The Brecker Brothers, and more.
Live studio performance featuring the mixed saxophone solo from the HEROES album recording sessions at UNLV Recording Studios, Las Vegas. Inspired by The Brecker Brothers.
Rick Keller
UNLV Recording Studios
HEROES · Vegas Records VR 1032
Career Journey
Notable Performances
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Royal Albert Hall — London, UK
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Radio City Music Hall — New York, USA
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Blue Note — Tokyo, Japan
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Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club — London, UK
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North Sea Jazz Festival — The Hague, Netherlands
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Bratislava Jazz Festival — Bratislava, Slovakia
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Grammy Award Broadcasts — CBS Television
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Latin Grammy Broadcasts — Univision Television
Critical Reception
Notable Collaborators
Education & Teaching
Present
Adjunct Professor — UNLV Division of Jazz & Commercial Music
Jazz Composition · Jazz Saxophone · Improvisation · Music Technology · Multimedia
Recording Mixer — DownBeat Award Winning UNLV Jazz I Big Band (2025)
Published Author — Kendall Hunt Publishing ↗
A Creator's Practical Guide to Music Technology · ISBN: 9798319728371
25 chapters · Corporate partners: Avid Pro Tools, iZotope, GIMP, PG Music
Master's Degree — Jazz Composition, UNLV
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Bachelor of Arts — Jazz Saxophone Performance ↗
University of Miami, Frost School of Music · New England Conservatory (1985)
1983–01
International Teaching — Europe
New Jazz School Munich · Remscheid Jazz Workshop · Salzgitter Jazz+Rock Workshop · Bavarian Jazz Youth Orchestra · Feierwerk Workshop · Media Academy Germany