Ryan McAdams

Ryan Bell McAdams (born March 16 1982) is an American conductor and currently the 15th Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony. [NYYS Press Release (12-9-07). [http://www.nyyouthsymphony.org/pr_S45.htm "New York Youth Symphony Announces Three Debut Artists in Three Premieres for 45th Season in Carnegie Hall 2007-2008"] . Retrieved on 10-2-08.]

Early Life and Education

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he started private piano lessons at 12 with pianist Sandra Geary at the St. Louis Symphony Music School, and at 17 began studying with Daniel Schene, Webster University's Director of Keyboard Studies. [Megan Connelly (09-06-06) [http://www.westendword.com/NC/0/706.html "Fulbright Program Awarded to local conductor McAdams"] . Retrieved on 10-2-08] In 1998, he began composition lessons with Stephen Mager. He was twice a student at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, studying conducting, piano and voice as part of Interlochen's Advanced Conducting and Music Theory curriclum.

McAdams began his undergraduate studies in 2000 at Indiana University as a piano student of Dr. Karen Shaw. From 2000-2004, he organized and conducted several student performances, and became a popular accompanist and coach for the Indiana University Opera Theater Department. He also served as the accompanist for the Graduate Conducting courses, and studied privately with the conducting faculty. McAdams graduated with an B.M. in Piano Performance in 2004.

In 2002, McAdams spent a semester in Vienna through the IES Abroad program, studying with faculty members of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, including piano with Antoinette van Zabner and conducting with Wolfgang Harrer.

Upon graduating from Indiana University, he became the first Masters Student to be accepted into the Juilliard Conducting Studies program by James DePreist, and was awarded the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship. McAdams graduated with a M.M. in Orchestral Conducting in 2007.

During the summers of 2005 and 2006, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and School as a student at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen where he studied with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. He also participated in master classes with Marin Alsop, George Manahan, Leonard Slatkin, Asher Fisch, and James Conlon. In 2006, David Zinman invited him to serve as his assistant conductor during the Aspen premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. He was also invited to served on several panels during the Aspen Music Festival Critics' Symposium as one of three student representatives of the Festival. Mr. McAdams became the first-ever recipient of the Festival's Aspen-Glimmerglass Prize for Opera and Vocal Conducting, nominated by both David Zinman and Glimmerglass Opera. [Glimmerglass Press Release - Richfield Springs Mercury (10-02-08) [http://www.rsmercury.com/pages/articledetailsarch.asp?cat=54&art=5119&iss=132 "Conductor Wins Inaugural Award"] Retrieved on 10-02-09] In 2008, he was appointed the Assistant Conductor for the Aspen Music Festival. [Aspen Public Radio 8-06-07. [http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/pop_listen.php?row=284 "Interview with Conductor Ryan McAdams"] . Retrieved on 10-2-08]

Career

in 2006, he received a Fulbright Grant for Stockholm, Sweden, where he spent the year serving as Apprentice Conductor to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, studying and traveling with then-Chief Conductor, and current Music Director-Designate of the New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert. [Fulbright Site [http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_student_us.html?id=13836 "Program Resources: Fulbright Grantees"] Retrieved on 10-02-08]

In the spring of 2007, he was invited by Lorin Maazel to create the post of Apprentice Conductor for the Chateauville Foundation at the Maazel Estate in Virginia, assisting Maestro Maazel on a production of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia with singers from the Metropolitan Opera's [http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/auditions/young_artists/ Lindemann program] and members of the [http://yoa.org Youth Orchestra of the Americas] .

As a result of the Aspen-Glimmerglass Prize, he served as Assistant Conductor for Glimmerglass Opera's 2007 season.

In 2007, at the age of 25, Ryan McAdams was named the 15th Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony, following in a distinguished line of conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Mischa Santora, and Myung-Whun Chung. He made his Carnegie Hall debut on December 9th, 2007 with the New York Youth Symphony and violin soloist William Harvey. [Steve Smith (12-11-07) [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/arts/music/11yout.html "New Leader Guides His Fledgling Group"] . Retrieved on 10-02-08]

During the 2007-2008 season, Mr. McAdams' conducting appearances included performances with the New Jersey Symphony, Glimmerglass Opera, Rutgers University, and the Juilliard FOCUS! Festival. He also served as cover conductor to David Robertson and the Saint Louis Symphony at Carnegie Hall in performances of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony and the U.S. Premiere of John Adams' Doctor Atomic Symphony, and served as assistant conductor to Anne Manson at the Juilliard Opera Center for the New York Premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. This was in addition to his three Carnegie Hall appearances with the New York Youth Symphony. [Allan Kozinn (03-18-08) [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E6DF163AF93BA25750C0A96E9C8B63&scp=2&sq=ryan%20mcadams&st=cse "Music In Review: New York Youth Symphony"] New York Times. Retrieved on 10-2-08] [Allan Kozinn (5-27-08) [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/arts/music/27yout.html "Glass and Rachmaninoff, With Percussion to Spare"] New York Times. Retrieved on 10-2-08] He has served as Assistant Conductor for the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and in Philadelphia's Zellerbach Theater.

In 2008, he served as the Assistant Conductor for the Aspen Music Festival. [Aspen Public Radio 8-06-07. [http://www.aspenpublicradio.org/pop_listen.php?row=284 "Interview with Conductor Ryan McAdams"] . Retrieved on 10-2-08]

In the 2008-09 season, Mr. McAdams will appear with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, [http://www.instantencore.com/concert/details.aspx?PId=5020834 Princeton Symphony] , Aspen Music Festival [Kyle MacMillan (8-07-08) [http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_10121896 "Aspen Puts Its Best Foot Forward"] Denver Post. Retrieved on 10-02-08] , the [http://wordlessmusic.org Wordless Music Series] at Le Poisson Rouge, and at Carnegie Hall with the [http://www.nyyouthsymphony.org/concerts.htm New York Youth Symphony] .

McAdams has been asked to give interviews and lectures about music and performance for Glimmerglass Opera, the New York Youth Symphony, the Juilliard School, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Awards and Scholarships

* Fulbright Grant, Sweden, 2007
* Aspen-Glimmerglass Prize for Opera and Vocal Conducting (inaugural recipient)
* Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship, Juilliard School
* Dean's Scholarship, Indiana University

References

External Links

* [http://www.ryan-mcadams.com Official Website for Ryan McAdams]
* [http://www.nyys.org Official Website for New York Youth Symphony]
* [http://www.williamreinert.com William Reinert Artists]