Faculty Recital – Pamela Ryan, viola

Pamela Ryan, Professor of Viola at the Florida State University College of Music, performed as soloist with the Aspen Philharmonia as winner of the Aspen Music Festival Young Artist Concerto Competition playing Alan Shulman’s Theme and Variations, working with the composer. In 2014, she was soloist in the Bartok Concerto with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, and returns there as a soloist in 2018. She has performed dozens of concertos and orchestral solos under the baton of Robert Spano, Peter Bay, Darius Mikulski, David Hoose, Alexander Jiménez, and many others. Active in the new music scene, she has recorded 20th century chamber music for labels Naxos, Col Legno and the Canadian Broadcasting Company (Gold Label).

Her new music solo performance was praised by the American Record Guide for “superb technique and musicianship.” She was violist of the Bowling Green String Quartet, touring Mexico City and Carnegie Hall, working with George Crumb on his “Black Angels” for electric string quartet, and performed in duo regularly with Robert Spano who wrote “Quaderno” for viola and piano for her. In addition to new music activities, she has performed chamber music as faculty artist for summer festivals at Aspen (CO), Brevard (NC), Yellow Barn (VT), Schlern (Italy), Green Mountain (VT), Idyllwild (CA) and Bowdoin (ME), as a faculty member at FSU, and as a returning guest at Seventh Species (OR), and Amelia Island Festival (FL).

As orchestral musician, she was principal violist of the Southwest Florida Symphony and Chamber Orchestra on Sanibel Island for three years, and principal violist of the Tallahassee Symphony for 28 years. Beyond traditional viola activities she has performed on rebab in Bali and in San Francisco with Balinese musicians, performed on historic period viola with Jaap Schroder, and performs regularly as a local jazz violist in Tallahassee with the band JazzEtcetera. Her live video performances of rarely played historic viola caprices have many unsolicited subscribers on YouTube. Ryan received the MM from the Conservatory of Brooklyn College (CUNY) and the DMA from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory (UC).

A dedicated teacher, Ryan won the FSU University Teaching Award for Excellence in Teaching, nominated by students. She was honored to give the national collegiate viola master class at the ASTA 2008 National Conference in Albuquerque, and has given many national conference presentations, as well as serving on national boards. She is proud that her former students hold viola positions in professional orchestras and universities on 5 continents.