معرفی
Josh Ryan serves as Professor of Percussion at Baldwin Wallace University, where he teaches percussion methods, directs the percussion ensemble, and co-founded the Africa→West Percussion trio in residence. His career bridges academic instruction and professional performance across diverse musical traditions.
Education:
- M.M., Peabody Conservatory of Music
- B.M., Music, Lawrence University
- B.A., Government, Lawrence University
Professor Ryan's research focuses on global percussion traditions, with deep expertise in West African music (studied in Ghana with the Agbeli family) and Afro-Cuban techniques (trained under Regino Jimenez and Michael Spiro). His scholarly work extends to contemporary classical performance, having premiered compositions by Steve Reich and Chen Yi, while his educational contributions include co-authoring percussion methodology texts and founding the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater summer percussion camp.
As an active clinician, Ryan conducts national workshops on non-Western music pedagogy for educators. His creative output includes four Africa→West Percussion trio albums such as Loud Fossil and collaborations with Valerie Naranjo, demonstrating the integration of traditional rhythms into modern performance contexts.
Professor Ryan maintains significant orchestral affiliations as principal timpanist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and performer with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, reflecting his dual commitment to academic and professional musical excellence.
