David Ryan

David Ryan is also a visual artist who studied clarinet with jazz musician Don Rendell. His musical interests were consolidated by the re-formation of the Scratch Orchestra (after the death of Cornelius Cardew) in 1984 for the Almeida Festival, and by personal connections with John Tilbury, Christian Wolff, Phill Niblock, and Earle Brown for various performances/concerts.  Although often experimenting with ‘open’ composition, he is committed to improvisation, and has been a long-standing member of the London Improvisors Orchestra, as well as in various improvising groups.  Ryan has also performed and broadcast for Danish Radio, UNAM Mexico, BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM, Radiophrenia, Radio Slovenjia, Sky Italia Classica TV, and numerous Festivals, including Bourges (2006), Sonic Illuminations, British Film Institute, London (2009); Namusica (2013 and 2014) Naples, Italy, the Venice Biennale (with Nicola Sani), 2015, and the Music Theatre festival 2025, Prague, Czech Republic. He has collaborated with various ensembles including many performances with the ensemble Apartment House and has been involved in premieres of pieces by numerous living composers. His recent collaborations have been with Chamber Music Theatre Slovenia and Umbra (with Gabriele Palgiano and Beatrice Miniaci) Recent compositions include Recitativo/Clouds and Noise (2014-18), Provisional Pieces (2018 - ongoing), Aphorisms (2019/2024) and Inscriptions (2023-25).  Recent recordings include Borough (with Jonny Chang, Dominic Lash, Jamie Droin, and Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga) 2017 Mikroton Records; LIO, Leon, Leo (London Improvisors orchestra) Psi 2010, 20 Years on (London Improvisors Orchestra), 2018; Fields and Refrains (solo) Aural Terrains 2022; Either/Or (with Dominic Lash and Emil Karlsen) Elektra Music.EU; Music for Electric Guitars, Bass Clarinets and Double Basses, Aural Terrains, 2025.