Classical Guitarist - Concert Bookings Only

Gary Ryan - Classical Guitarist - Concert Bookings Only

Gary Ryan is one of the world’s foremost classical guitarists. He captivates audiences with his exceptional virtuosity and creative genius and has won universal acclaim for his formidable blend of flawless technique, profound musical artistry and highly varied concert programmes.

In May 2013 Gary was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music, London, by HRH Prince Charles in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the international musical world.

In 2013 he became the first guitarist since John Williams in 1983 to be awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music in recognition of his contribution to the instrument (and only the fourth guitarist ever to receive this honour, other recipients being Andrés Segovia and Julian Bream).

Ryan studied from the age of 8 at the Guildhall School of Music Junior Department, later winning a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in 1987 where he studied with Timothy Walker. In 1991 he graduated with first class honours and a host of awards, including the Julian Bream Prize for guitar, the John Mundy String Prize and the Dorothy Grinstead Prize for an outstanding all-round student (Ryan is also an accomplished pianist). He then pursued his post-graduate studies at the RAM with an award from the Fleming Trust and was later made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 1997.

Ryan made his London recital debut for the Park Lane Group Young Artists Series at the Purcell Room in 1994 (declared a highlight of the series by the Telegraph, Independent, Observer, Times and Sunday Times) and was subsequently invited to perform a series of recitals for the Kirckman Concert Society at London’s South Bank Centre.

In 1996, at the age of 27, Ryan was then appointed a Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music in London, rising to become Assistant Head of Strings in 2009.

…jewel-like precision …technical prowess …such fluency and musicality.The Daily Telegraph

…one of the most accurate guitarists in the business….a level of precision that could easily have been released on CD with scarcely a retake. I promise this is no exaggeration…Classical Guitar Magazine

…I sat up for a guitarist of outstanding musicality called Gary Ryan …impeccable but pliant strength that handsomely defined the contours of the writing…The Independent

… the classical guitarist Gary Ryan left his audience spell-bound by his versatility and the astonishing range of sounds he produced from his instrument…The Gulf Times

…here is a player who knows what magical sounds can be coaxed from the guitar. His technique is formidable…the whole recital was a delight …high class musicianship.Musical Opinion

…staggering technical facility around the fingerboard… Ryan demonstrates his outstanding compositional skills with his own extensive six-movement guitar solo work depicting scenes from the ‘Wild West’, a 26-minute descriptive tour de force of highly technically challenging repertoire which just happens to be exceedingly good fun to listen to.Classical Guitar Magazine

A fine guitarist… I cannot imagine Gary Ryan ever wanting to abandon the showpiece of Tippett’s The Blue Guitar which he plays so seductively.The Sunday Times