Music Director

Tim Keeler, Music Director, sang as a countertenor with Chanticleer during its 2017–18 season before returning as Music Director in 2020. During his tenure, he has overseen the creation of four studio albums and commissioned dozens of new compositions and arrangements. Each year, he curates innovative and compelling programs that explore both the contemporary relevance of early music and the enduring vitality of new music. Under his direction, The New York Times has praised Chanticleer for its “hallmark powdery blend and intonation so pure that close dissonances produce faint, shimmering beats.” The New Yorker commended Keeler’s solo singing with the ensemble for its “ethereal wistfulness.” While on tour, Keeler and the ensemble lead education and outreach events at colleges and high schools across the country, reaching hundreds of students each year.

Before moving to San Francisco, Keeler built a career as a conductor, singer, and educator. In addition to Chanticleer, he has performed with New York Polyphony, The Clarion Choir, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, TENET, and Ekmeles. As an educator, he directed the University of Maryland Men’s Chorus, served as Director of Choirs at the Special Music School High School in Manhattan, and worked closely with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City as both a vocal coach and satellite school conductor. He also served as choral conductor for Juilliard’s Summer Performing Arts program, a two-week intensive in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Keeler is currently Chorus Director at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and holds degrees from Princeton University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland.