Garrett Keast

A desire to unify hearts and minds through the spirit and messages of music is at the core of Garrett Keast’s work. Known for his ability to inspire and connect with musicians and audiences alike, the Berlin-based conductor is widely recognized for his musical depth in the concert hall and opera house. Keast has earned recognition for his symphonic conducting and expertise in American repertoire, as well as for founding and leading the critically acclaimed Berlin Academy of American Music (BAAM).

Keast began his career as Associate Conductor of New York City Opera before launching his career in Europe with engagements at the Paris Opera, Orchestre de Paris, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. With distinct performances leading over seventy symphony orchestras and more than twenty-five opera companies across four continents, he regularly appears at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Brussels’ BOZAR, the Staatsoper Hamburg, Seoul Arts Center, Theater an der Wien, and the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. 

Described as drawing out “refined and concentrated playing” with “assured sensitivity” (Financial Times), Keast has conducted performances with orchestras including the Copenhagen Philharmonic, Tonkünstler Orchester, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Florence, Orchestre National Capitole Toulouse, Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Bucheon Philharmonic, WDR Funkhausorchester, SWR Symphonieorchester, Prague Philharmonia, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Royal Danish Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. 

The 2025-2026 season marks a further expansion of Garrett Keast’s international profile, featuring his debut at the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo conducting Bernstein’s Wonderful Town, and his return to the George Enescu Festival with the Berlin Academy of American Music (BAAM) for a tour showcasing works by Barber, Bernstein, Dorman, and Gershwin. In January, the BAAM Orchestra returns to the Konzerthaus Berlin with premieres by Billy Childs, Jonathan Dawe, and Missy Mazzoli. Other season highlights include performances with the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra featuring the Marsalis Violin Concerto and Simon’s Four Black American Dances; a return to the Seoul Arts Center for a program titled "Bernstein & Bruch" with the Camerata SOL; and a new production of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s La Bayadère with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Keast also makes debuts with the Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, conducting an American program of Copland, Bernstein, and Gershwin, and with the Orchestra Filarmonica Pugliese, performing works by Verdi, Beethoven, and Rimsky-Korsakov. In summer 2026, he will lead the BAAM Composers Workshop in Berlin, continuing the success of last season’s inaugural program.

Growing up as a singer and instrumentalist, Keast brings a passion for creating a holistic approach to opera and stage productions. His opera credits include Faust (Opéra National de Paris), Die Zauberflöte (Deutsche Oper Berlin), La Bohème (Aspen Music Festival), Ariadne auf Naxos (Virginia Opera), Carmen (Opera San Antonio), Midsummer Night’s Dream in Tokyo, Der Fliegender Holländer (Theater Erfurt), Rigoletto (Theater Bremen), Don Giovanni (New Orleans Opera), and Bluthaus (Oper Bonn), as well as a critically-acclaimed production of Così fan tutte at the Fort Worth Opera Festival, described by the Dallas Morning News as “the operatic experience of the year.” 

Garrett Keast enjoyed a ten-year collaboration with John Neumeier’s esteemed Hamburg Ballet, conducting over 125 performances across eight major productions both in Hamburg and on tour to cities such as Tokyo, Baden-Baden, and Los Angeles. His extensive ballet repertoire includes Neumeier’s Bernstein Dances, Lera Auerbach’s Tatjana, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and John Adams’ Fearful Symmetries. Recent seasons have included The Nutcracker with New York City Ballet, Swan Lake with Opéra National de Paris, and Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet with Royal Swedish Ballet. He has also led numerous productions with prestigious companies such as Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Royal Danish Ballet, Finnish National Opera & Ballet, and Houston Ballet.

Connection is a theme carried throughout Keast’s endeavors. The Houston-born conductor is a prominent interpreter of repertoire from his homeland, consistently developing relevant, thought-provoking programming. In recent seasons, he has premiered works by Missy Mazzoli, Anthony Davis, Caroline Shaw, Wynton Marsalis, Carlos Simon, Billy Childs, David T. Little, David Lang, and Avner Dorman. Additional American programs include John Neumeier’s Bernstein Dances in the Los Angeles Music Center and Baden Baden Festspielhaus, a Broadway program at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a Bernstein Gala with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, performances of Bernstein’s Mass in Dresden’s Frauenkirche, and Copland’s Third Symphony at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  

Presenting a fusion of iconic and modern American and American themed works is also the focus of the Berlin Academy of American Music (BAAM), founded by Keast at the height of the pandemic. The orchestra’s debut recording, Transatlantic, was released in October 2021 on the ONYX Classics label and received 5-star reviews from the BBC Music, Fanfare, Limelight, and das Orchester magazines. The orchestra has quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality of performance and programming, garnering return invitations, sold-out performances, and tour developments.

Garrett Keast was mentored by Christoph Eschenbach at the Houston Symphony and served as assistant conductor for opera productions and international tours at the Paris Opera, Vienna State Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, and the Pacific Music Festival. Keast studied at the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals and was assistant conductor at the Dallas Opera, where he received the Bruno Walter Career Development Grant. 

Quelle: https://www.garrettkeast.com/biography