Nicole Keller, Concert Organist, & the UF Brass Band

Hailed as a “skilled and stylish player” (The American Organist magazine), Nicole Keller serves as Chair of the Department of Organ at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan. She has earned a reputation for colorful, virtuosic performances praised by audiences and presenters alike. Ms. Keller has performed in historic venues including St. Patrick Cathedral, New York; Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Paris; Dom St. Stephan, Passau; St. Patrick Cathedral, Armagh, Northern Ireland; and The Kazakh National University for the Arts, Astana, Kazakhstan.

Ms. Keller’s appearances with orchestra include concertos, works for chamber orchestra, and large works involving organ, harpsichord, and piano. In recent seasons, she debuted world premieres for solo organ, chamber orchestra and vocal ensemble including works by Bálint Karosi, and Terrance McKnight and Pat Eakin Young. She also appeared with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in performances of the Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 (“Organ”) and the Strauss An Alpine Symphony. She has extensive experience as a continuo player in performances of Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Passions, Christmas Oratorio, and Mass in B minor and a host of baroque cantatas and chamber music.

Ms. Keller’s first CD recording, Those Americans, was released by the Raven label in 2024, music that paints a picture of the diverse landscape of 20th century American organ music. The album is praised as “an exciting programme...[where] Nicole Keller meets their considerable technical challenges with aplomb...” (Organists’ Review).

Nicole Keller received the Performer’s Certificate and the Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music under David Higgs (organ), Arthur Haas (continuo), and Gerre Hancock (improvisation). She received the Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio, where she studied piano with George Cherry and Jean Stell and organ with Margaret Scharf. Nicole Keller is represented in North American exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.

The University of Florida Brass Band is an American Brass band immersed in the British Brass Band Tradition. This ensemble features 30 brass musicians in addition to 3-4 percussionists.

Danielle VanTuinen is a performer, educator, and entrepreneur based in Gainesville, Florida. She currently serves as Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium and Director of the University of Florida Brass Band at the University of Florida. Prior to her current appointment, Danielle served as Lecturer of Music at Plymouth State University where she taught low brass methods, chamber music and applied lessons. She also served as low brass faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music, adjunct staff for the marching band at the University of New Hampshire, private lesson instructor throughout northern New England, and low brass instructor for the Phoenix Youth Symphony. She has been invited to adjudicate at a variety of festivals, including the New Hampshire MEA Solo & Ensemble Competition, the Paul I. Willwerth Brass Competitions, the International Women’s Brass Young Artist Competition, and the AETYB Young Artist Competition in Madrid, Spain. As a co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Moreau | VanTuinen Duo she has been invited to perform at the Spanish Association of Tubas and Euphoniums, Northern Arizona University, Ithaca College, the Miraphone Academy of the Southwest, the United States Pershing’s Own Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, and the International Women’s Brass Conference. Her commitment to expanding low brass repertoire has resulted in over 15 compositions by composers such as Steven Snowden, James Grant, Shaun Tilburg, and Etienne Crausaz. Danielle earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Performance and Master of Music degree in Music Performance from Arizona State University, and a Bachelors of Music degree in Music Performance from Central Michigan University. Dr. VanTuinen proudly endorses S.E. Shires and the Eastman Music Company.