Behind the Music

Sam Keily is a multi-instrumentalist, conductor and music director, arranger, producer, and collaborator whose work spans musical theater, classical performance, popular music, and studio production. He performs professionally on piano and saxophone, leads musical theater productions, accompanies singers, arranges music for live and studio projects, and produces recordings for emerging artists. From 2024–2026, he worked aboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas as Show Conductor and Musical Director for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray and the original production Flight: Dare to Dream. During this time, the ship was awarded Best Entertainment at Sea, highlighting the excellence of its live productions and performance teams. As a pianist, Sam performs classical, musical theater, and popular repertoire. His classical training includes major solo works such as Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and he won Anderson University’s Evening of Excellence Concerto Competition, performing the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with orchestra. He currently serves as a collaborative pianist at Anderson University and Taylor University, working with singers across classical, musical theater, contemporary, and other vocal repertoire. His accompanying work includes private voice lessons, studio classes, rehearsals, auditions, choral ensembles, and performances. He also performs for weddings and private events, offering a distinctive grand piano experience with a grand piano shell that brings the visual elegance of a grand piano to a variety of venues. As a music director, Sam has led professional musical theater productions, including Hairspray, and worked on productions such as Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, and Chess in Concert. His work encompasses score preparation, vocal and orchestra rehearsals, musical interpretation, and maintaining the integrity and consistency of a production. He also served as Musical Director and Vocal Supervisor for Flight: Dare to Dream, overseeing vocal preparation and performance standards. He is currently working as rehearsal pianist for Sweeney Todd at Taylor University, with upcoming engagements as Keys 2 for Grease and Music Director for South Pacific at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. As a saxophonist, Sam has performed major classical repertoire, including the Glazunov Saxophone Concerto, and played with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra. His professional work also includes cruise ship productions, Earth, Wind & Fire tributes, big band performances, and other live engagements. As a woodwind doubler, he brings versatility across styles and ensembles, and he participates in recording sessions and content creation projects featuring contemporary saxophone performance. As an arranger, Sam creates music for a variety of instrumental and vocal ensembles in live and studio settings. He studied arranging under Adi Yeshaya, whose credits include Whitney Houston, Prince, and NBC’s The Voice. His arrangements have been published through Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus, and his professional work includes arrangements for Royal Caribbean productions, cabarets, and live shows. He also works with performers on musical interpretation to ensure arrangements are delivered with clarity and stylistic integrity. As a producer and audio engineer, Sam has worked across genres ranging from electronic pop to orchestral and musical theater. He studied with Grammy-winning professionals and served as lead audio engineer for the original cast recording of J. Eyre: A New Musical. His additional work includes producing live shows and recording artists performing original music. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Business with an emphasis in Record Production from Anderson University (IN), complementing his Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance.