Praised for his "strong and unique voice" (Winnipeg Free Press), "masterful command of instrumental colour" (Georgia Straight), and "superb attention to rhythm" (Audio Ideas Guide), Jeffrey Ryan has emerged as one of Canada's leading composers. His varied catalogue ranges from opera, art song, and choral music to chamber ensemble and orchestral works, including commissions for the Cleveland, Vancouver and Toronto Symphonies, Esprit Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Tapestry New Opera Works, Standing Wave, Tiresias, the Arditti Quartet, and Elektra Women's Choir..
Ryan's works have enjoyed performances and broadcasts around the world, have inspired new works by choreographers Barbara Bourget and Rob Kitsos, and served as the soundtrack to the dance film Fata Morgana. Recent highlights include performances of The Linearity of Light in China, Korea and Macau, and the New York City premiere of Two-by-Four.
Twice nominated for Classical Composition of the Year Juno awards (Quantum Mechanics in 2008 and Pangaea in 2005, the latter recorded by the Thunder Bay Symphony), his works have also been recorded by the Bowling Green Philharmonia (Ophélie), the Hannaford Street Silver Band (She Threw It Down, Anathema), and the Penderecki Quartet (String Quartet #3). Upcoming recordings include a CD of Ryan's orchestral music with the Vancouver Symphony, On Monsieur's Departure with musica intima, and Saturn (study in white) with pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa.
Based in Vancouver, Ryan was the Vancouver Symphony's Composer Laureate for the 2008/09 season, after serving as Composer-in-Residence from 2002 to 2007. Since 1997, he has been Composer Advisor for Music Toronto. Ryan was an Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony from 2000 to 2002, and has been a featured composer with various festivals in Canada and the United States, including the Winnipeg Symphony New Music Festival, and Bowling Green State University's New Music and Art Festival.
Born in Toronto and raised in Fergus, Ontario, Jeffrey Ryan fled the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University to join the Faculty of Music, from which he graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music degree and the gold medal in music. After earning a Master's degree in composition from the University of Toronto, he went on to receive his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Donald Erb. Previous teachers include Alexina Louie, Lothar Klein, Mariano Etkin, Boyd McDonald, and Owen Underhill.