The third time may be the charm, but every nomination for a Juno Award is music to Jeffrey Ryan’s ears.
With a career that has gained him international notoriety and national acclaim, the freelance composer credits his Fergus roots as his inspiration.
“Growing up in Fergus was absolutely the start for me,” Ryan said from his home in Vancouver.
“In (Centre Wellington) high school we had a really fantastic music program; this was in the 1970s. I got to try composition, band arranging and I wrote a duet with Ray Johnson, my music teacher,” he explained. “Having that really great high school music program really laid the foundation for my career.”
Being part of the school band helped him appreciate music.
“You have the experience of sitting with a band, and I really took in the sounds of the instruments, the way they were used, hearing the music from inside the band,” Ryan said, noting the early study continues to influence what he calls the “colour of his music.”
But it was a school trip to see the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra perform Gustav Holst’s The Planets that made Ryan decide, “I want to do this.”
Career highlights to date include three nominations for Junos, the prestigious music awards presented annually by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
All three nominations – in 2005, 2008 and 2012 – were for Classical Composition of the Year category.
This year he is nominated for Equilateral, which was recorded by the Gryphon Trio and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), who co-commissioned the work along with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO).
“I was thrilled to have all three of these groups involved in this project,” Ryan said, adding there are not many opportunities to create a triple concert piece for violin, cello, piano and the orchestra. The occasion for this piece was the Gryphon Trio’s 15th anniversary.
Ryan’s musical repertoire includes opera, art song, choral music and chamber and orchestral works.
In addition to the VSO and TSO, he has had work commissioned by The Cleveland Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CSO), Esprit Orchestra, Arditti Quartet, Tiresias and Tapestry New Opera.
He was the VSO’s composer laureate for the 2008-09 season, after serving as composer-in-residence from 2002 to 2007. Previously he was an affiliate composer with the TSO from 2000 to 2002. Since 1997, he has been composer advisor for Music Toronto.
The 2012 Juno nomination for Equilateral is of particular importance for Ryan because of his connection to the music.
“Every composer has a piece of music where they feel this music was the piece that went deeper,” he explained. “Equilateral comes out with a lot of energy and then moves deeper, inward and audiences really react to that emotionally.”
In the second movement, Ryan has the instruments recite the rhythm of a prayer, giving the piece a spiritual feel. Shortly after writing it, Ryan got News that a friend had been killed in a plane crash and the music took on a more personal feel for him.
“It was one of those moments that just added another layer to the piece for me,” he said.
“You learn something from every project … there are moments when all the things you’ve created come together and it works. It is really great to get recognition for a piece of music that I am really proud of.”
Ryan is currently working on Afghanistan – A Requiem for a Generation, commissioned by the CSO and One Yellow Rabbit Theatre Company. It will include an adult and child choir, orchestra and four soloists, alongside the words of war poet Suzanne Steele. The performance takes place in Calgary in November.
“Every piece I do is a labour of love. You pour everything you have into it,” Ryan explained. “It’s a thrill to get your music recorded. To get it nominated for a Juno, a national award, is really incredible.”
Back in Fergus, his parents Margaret and Rueben Ryan are proud of their son’s accomplishments.
“Even if he doesn’t get the win, three times being nominated is good enough,” said Margaret Ryan. “Hopefully though, three times will be the charm.”
The Juno Awards take place on April 1 in Ottawa. To see Ryan’s competition for Classical Composition of the Year, as well as a sample of his nominated piece, visit junoawards.ca. For more information on Jeffrey Ryan visit www.jeffreyryan.com.
