“What is most important to me is connecting my inner nature with outer nature  – that’s where music abides. ”

The New York Times hailed Keith Lay as ‘a composer to watch for, and Gramophone Magazine described his work as “unapologetically emotional.” Invested in supporting the next generation of composers as a Department Chair at Full Sail University and a founding member of the National Young Composers Challenge, he works towards connecting potential to possibility.

Keith Lay grew up in rural Northeastern Ohio. After receiving a Master of Music Composition from the University of Akron College of Music in 1988, his four-fold career focused on concert music composition, commercial music production, audio engineering, and university teaching. He earned a Masters in Education Media Technology in 2010 from Full Sail University and became a certified Deep Listening instructor with composer Pauline Oliveros in 2015.

Lay’s major works include “Earth Caoine (Earth Cry)” for clarinet and orchestra, recorded by Richard Stoltzman in 1996, “Children On The Playground” violin concerto for strings (2000), winner of the 6th International Riverside Orchestra Grand Prize, and “Green” for the 3d film/ live orchestra world tour “America’s Wonders” (2019-20).