audio

What good is art in the remembrance of pain?

Some may argue that offering music in response to an historic evil isn’t enough, while others might insist on leaving the past in the past.

But to Barron Ryan, a musical composition seemed the right response to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Because despite the many years which had transpired, he still saw his neighbors hurting from the effects of that horrific atrocity.

So Barron wrote and recorded There Arises Light in the Darkness. It strives to assure all who grieve that someone else understands your pain. It’s also meant to show that despite suffering even as great as the Tulsa Race Massacre, there’s still reason for hope.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a well curated wine tasting, you’ll understand the appeal of my newest solo piano album, '5 Flats'. While classical albums are often organized by composer or type of composition (etudes, waltzes, etc.), this album is united by a less conventional theme: key signature. Composers have often used five flats to write music that’s particularly warm, soothing, and lush. So may this album bring comfort in the midst of whatever storm is swirling around you.

Why can't all music get along? As a classical pianist and modern music fan, I’ve been told some styles don't mix. But great composers like Bach, Chopin, and Gershwin proved that's not true by incorporating the popular music of their times into serious compositions. Could I combine my love of Beethoven and James Brown? There was only one way to find out. So I set out to write classical music that was influenced by my favorite kinds of music, regardless of genre. This album is evidence that all music can get along.

Solos by jazz pianos legends enjoy new life on my second album. Seeking to learn from some of the world's greatest artists, I listened to eleven of their recorded improvisations, meticulously transcribed the recordings as sheet music, and learned to perform them. Through rejection, toil, and injury, Barron Ryan has become The Masters' Apprentice.

Concert music gets feisty when influenced by jazz and ragtime on my debut album. Audience favorite George Gershwin finds company in contemporary composers Nikolai Kapustin and William Bolcom for a rhythmic, lyrical, and adventurous recording of Classical with Attitude.