About the Professor
Ryan Darke
Assistant Professor of Music (Trumpet)
Office: MUS, Room 133
Phone: 520.621.1348
email: darke@email.arizona.edu
Personal Website: www.ryandarke.com/
Trumpeter Ryan Darke enjoys a diverse career as a performer, educator, and mentor for top up-and-coming student artists of the trumpet. His performance home is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where he preforms as principal trumpet of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. As a dedicated teacher he feels very honored to be joining the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona, where he is heavily invested in his students and the institution. Ryan is committed to providing them with the tools necessary to succeed in the dynamic musical environment of today's music industry.
Ryan has found success playing full seasons with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (second trumpet), San Diego Symphony Orchestra (principal trumpet), and New World Symphony Orchestra where he completed one year of his fellowship under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.
In addition, Ryan performs regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he has played many subscription concerts, education concerts, Hollywood Bowl summer concerts, and also joined them on an international tour to Venezuela, where the Philharmonic performed all of the Mahler Symphonies.
He has been a guest performer with the Detroit Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand), Malaysia Philharmonic, Stavanger Philharmonic (Norway), and is a founding member of the Los Angeles-based new music ensemble, wildUp. Over the past couple of years he has worked with many of the world's great conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Marin Alsop, Louis Langree and Esa Pekka Salonen. He also has enjoyed working closely with Christoph Eschenbach as principal trumpet at the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival for two years. While residing in Germany he was featured playing Mahler's Symphony No. 5, among other large works during several international tours.
During the summer months, Ryan continues to support his love for new music through his work at the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz. The Cabrillo Festival Orchestra is a very special collection of people who are making really interesting and important efforts on behalf of new music. He has also performed at the Britt festival in Jacksonville, Oregon under Maestro Teddy Abrams.
Ryan received a Professional Studies Certificate from The Colburn School, a Master of Music Performance degree from Rice University and a bachelor's degree from California State University of Long Beach, Bob Cole Conservatory. Ryan also spent one season as a fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, under artistic direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. His most influential instructors have been James Wilt, Tony Prisk, Rob Frear, Bill VerMeulen, Joan LaRue, Ray Mase, Richard Giangiulio, Chris Gekker and Michael Sachs. As a student, Ryan was invited to play in the Castleton Festival Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, two summers at Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, two summer's at National Orchestra Institute, The Aspen Music Festival, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Bar Harbor Brass Institute, and seminars at Domaine Forget.
Throughout the years Ryan has remained committed to mentoring young musicians and remains committed to these important social initiatives. He has volunteered for OrchKids through the Baltimore Symphony, Youth Orchestras of Los Angeles (YOLA) through the LA Philharmonic, and while touring with the LA Philharmonic taught a master class in Venezuela's El Sistema headquarters. This spring Ryan was asked to speak during a lecture series for Bard College Conservatory of Music students via the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
During the International Trumpet Guild 2015-2016 conference Ryan presented a panel discussion with colleagues from La Scala (Italy), Sydney Opera House (Australia), and La Monnaie (Brussles National Opera). He also led a warm-up session, which was received with great enthusiasm. The Hollywood Epic brass also invited Ryan to act as assistant principal trumpet to studio legend Malcom McNab, during their headline evening concert. Ryan has recently been published in the International Trumpet Guild, with an article titled "The American Brass Quintet on Musical and Professional Accountability."
