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 with a wide range of repertoire both in the concert hall and opera house. Keast has become known in recent years for his symphonic conducting and expertise in American repertoire as well as for his rise as founder and conductor of his critically acclaimed orchestra, the Berlin Academy of American Music.

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. Today, he regularly appears at top venues including Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Brussel’s 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 Tonkünstler Orchester, Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestre National Capitole Toulouse, Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. Recent recording projects have included Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin and the debut album of the Berlin Academy of American Music, Transatlantic, which received 5 stars from the BBC, Fanfare, Limelight and das Orchester magazines.  

The 2024-2025 season begins in South Korea with concert performances of Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony with the Bucheon Philharmonic and Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances with the Jeonju Symphony Orchestra. Keast joins tenor Jonathan Tetelman for performances with the Copenhagen Philharmonic and will bring in the new year at the Essen Philharmonie with the WDR Funkhausorchester, performing a Gershwin Tribute concert featuring pianist Makoto Ozone. He returns to the Ballets de Monte Carlo with both Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake, making debuts with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Florence and Orquestra de la Commitat Valenciana. In the U.S., Keast will make his debut with the New York City Ballet and Houston Ballet. His Berlin Academy of American Music (BAAM) continues to garner attention, performing again at the Elbphilharmonie, the Konzerthaus Berlin, as well as on tour.