Faculty and Staff
Dennis Keller
Mr. Keller accepted the appointment as choral conductor and vocal instructor at Ohlone College in 1985, where he founded the Chamber Singers. Since that time Mr. Keller has achieved the academic ranking of Full Professor in Music and continues to serve in this capacity. In addition to conducting the Chamber Singers, Mr. Keller teaches vocal lessons and World Music on the Ohlone campus. His formal training includes: a Bachelor of Music Education from Mount Union College, a Masters in Music from the University of Arizona, and has completed graduate course work at the University of Southern California. In addition Mr. Keller has participated in the Summer Vocal Institute in Graz, Austria, and studied conducting with Eric Ericson, Rodney Eichenberger, Dr. Maurice Skones, Dr. Douglas Pritchard, and Dr. Bruce Browne.
Before accepting the position at Ohlone College, Mr. Keller had taught music at all levels of public schools, and continues to be active in church music, as Director of Music at the First Presbyterian Church in Livermore. Recipient of three sabbatical leaves from Ohlone College Mr. Keller has accepted an invitation to study conducting privately with Eric Ericson in Stockholm, Sweden; participated in World Music Seminars in Istanbul, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt. He has just returned from his most recent sabbatical, Spring 2007, where he served as a Visiting Scholar to the People's Republic of China at the Liaoning Normal University, and the Zheijang Vocational Academy of the Arts, and served as choral clinician in Melbourne and Perth, Australia. He returned to Zheijang Vocational Academy of the Arts and Liaoning Normal University again in 2008 again serving as Visiting Scholar for a month. Mr. Keller continues to be active as a choral festival adjudicator, and consultant for church music program development.
Though leisure time is a premium in our conductor's schedule, he is fond of spirited discussion involving: international politics, public events, travel, wine, and yes, even a little technology. During the all-too-brief vacation periods he enjoys traveling with his family around the continental United States, Europe, and any place "tropical." The Keller family, wife Janet Holmes, daughters Rachel and Hannah, and their two Hungarian Vizlas live in San Ramon.