Kwamé Ryan

Kwamé Ryan (born in Toronto, Ontario) is a Trinidadian-Canadian conductor.

Biography

Early history and education

Ryan is the son of Joya Gomez, a school teacher and actress and Selwyn Ryan, a university professor. He had his primary and early musical education at the University School, St Augustine, Trinidad.[1] A month after his birth, the family moved to Uganda. Several years later, the family moved to Trinidad.[2] He studied piano, violin and voice privately.

Ryan subsequently moved to the United Kingdom, where he attended Oakham School, in Rutland, England. He then studied musicology at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. His UK mentors included Mark Elder. In Germany, Ryan attended the University of Tübingen for two years, for language and culture studies.[3] Ryan later studied conducting with Peter Eötvös in Hungary.[4] Other conducting mentors included Lothar Zagrosek.[2] From 1999 to 2003, he served as Generalmusikdirektor (GMD, General Music Director) of the Freiburg Opera and Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra. His work there included a commercial recording of Luigi Nono's Prometeo, as second conductor.[5]

Conducting career

Ryan made his professional UK conducting debut at the 2004 Edinburgh International Festival.[4] He subsequently returned to the Edinburgh Festival in 2005 as conductor of ballet performances with the Scottish Ballet and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.[6][7] His UK opera conducting debut was in October 2005 with English National Opera, in a production of Salome.[8]

In 2007, Ryan became music director of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine (ONBA), for an initial contract of 3 years. He held the ONBA post until June 2013, during which period several commercial recordings were released.[9] He served as music director of l'Orchestre Français des Jeunes from 2008 to 2011.[10]

Ryan was appointed Professor and Director of the University of Trinidad and Tobago's National Academy for the Performing Arts in 2015, focusing on youth arts and community development projects, until the end of his tenure in 2022. In January 2023, Ryan first guest-conducted the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Ryan returned to the Charlotte Symphony for an additional guest-conducting engagement in November 2023. In December 2023, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Ryan as its next music director, effective as of the 2024-2025 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[11][12]

Recordings

Ryan's recordings include:

See also

References

  1. ^ Kerry Peters (2004-09-14). "University School feeling good at 50". The Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  2. ^ a b Colin Eatock (2008-06-22). "Kwame Ryan". Opera Canada. ISSN 0030-3577. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  3. ^ Charles Ward (2008-04-02). "Ryan makes Houston debut". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  4. ^ a b Charlotte Higgins (2004-08-10). "Black conductor fears he will remain exception". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  5. ^ Andrew Clements (2008-01-04). "Nono: Prometeo, Hoffmann/ Otto/ Mayer/ Schell/ Solistenchor Freiburg/ Ensemble Recherche/ Soloists of the Freiburg Philharmonic & SWR Symphony Orch/ Baden Baden/ Hirsch/ Ryan". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  6. ^ Kelly Apter (2005-03-19). "Return of three of the best". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  7. ^ Kelly Apter (2005-03-19). "You shall go to the ball". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  8. ^ Edward Seckerson (2005-10-24). "Salome, Coliseum, London". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-03-29.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Nommé directeur artistique et musical de l'Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Paul Daniel prendra ses fonctions en septembre 2013" (PDF) (Press release). Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2013. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  10. ^ Thierry Hillériteau (2010-12-14). "Les jeunes et Kwamé Ryan". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  11. ^ "Announcing Kwamé Ryan as the Charlotte Symphony's Next Music Director" (Press release). Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  12. ^ Adam Bell (2023-12-12). "Charlotte Symphony makes history, names a Black conductor as its new music director". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
Cultural offices
Preceded by Generalmusikdirektor, Freiburg Opera and Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra
1999–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine
2007–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Orchestre Français des Jeunes
2009–2010 		Succeeded by
Dennis Russell Davies
Preceded by Music Director, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
2024–present 		Succeeded by
incumbent