Music at St. Paul's: RYAN CHAN

Known for his "solid technique... imaginative programming... tasteful creativity in registering orchestral textures" (AGO Charleston Chapter), Ryan Chan is recognized as a versatile musician specializing in organ and harpsichord. His passions for both early and contemporary repertoire, performance practice, historic/antique keyboards, experimentation and teaching define his musical identity. Hailing from Hong Kong, he has performed in notable venues across U.S. and Europe, including Freiberger Dom, Katholische Hofkirche Dresden, Kerk Noordbroek Groningen, St. James’ in the City Los Angeles, Syracuse University, etc. He has been featured in prominent festivals including Piccolo Spoleto L'Organo Charleston, Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, Rochester Early Music Festival, Skaneateles Festival, etc.

Ryan is the First Prize and Audience Prize winner of the 2024 American Guild of Organists National Young Artist Competition in Organ Performance. In 2023, he won Second Prize in the 16th International Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition, held in Freiberg and Dresden. He is also the First Prize winner of the 2018 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing.

At the Eastman School of Music, Ryan is pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Organ Performance under the tutelage of David Higgs. He holds a Master’s Degree in Harpsichord Performance, studying with Lisa Goode Crawford. He is currently Organist at the Rochester Christian Reformed Church. Prior to this appointment, he was the VanDelinder Organ Fellow at Christ Church Rochester for three years, working with the Music Director Stephen Kennedy. He performs regularly with Eastman’s Collegium Musicum, a baroque ensemble directed by Paul O’Dette and Christel Thielmann. As a harpsichordist, he has performed several Bach Concertos with orchestra, including Brandenberg 5, as well as a contemporary work by Armando Bayolo – [Unplanned] Obsolescence for Harpsichord and Orchestra. He has collaborated with Gloriæ Dei Cantores, The Society for New Music, the faculty at Oberlin’s Baroque Performance Institute, and also the faculty at Eastman.

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Ryan is represented in North America by Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc. He is currently based in Rochester, New York, USA.

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