Ryan Van Scoyk

Saxophonist Saxophonist Ryan Van Scoyk hails from Aurora, Colorado, and he is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he serves as the saxophone studio's Graduate Teaching Assistant. He holds a Master of Music Degree in Saxophone from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University with Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Performance and Education. Equally comfortable in classical, jazz, popular, and sacred settings, Ryan has shared the stage with Fareed Haque, Matt Wilson, Greg Gisbert, The Lettermen, and many others. Having a particular passion for chamber music, Ryan performs regularly with the the Black Diamond Quartet (Robert Ward, alto, Christopher Ruiz, tenor, and Sean Edwards, Tenor), the Promethean Quartet (Alexander Magg, soprano, Brandon Jinwoo Choi, alto, and Om Srivastava, tenor) and the Ubuntu Duo (with Staci Toma, marimba). The Promethean Quartet’s debut album, Through Adam’s Fall, was released in October 2013, and features Ryan’s original arrangement for saxophone quartet of Percy Grainger’s iconic band work Lincolnshire Posy. Ryan’s chamber ensembles have received numerous honors, including selection as one of the top four wind ensembles in the finals of the Alice Coleman International Chamber Music Competition (Promethean Quartet, 2013), honorable mention in the Ohio Music Teachers’ National Association Competition (Promethean Quartet, 2013), and alternate in the Southern California International Competition (Ubuntu Duo, 2014). The Promethean Quartet completed a five-state tour in 2013, including several performances and masterclasses at public schools and universities. Ryan is also an active performer in jazz, popular, and sacred music. He has performed with the top jazz ensembles at CU, CSU, and CCM, including performances in Heidelberg, Germany (2009), and at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at the Lincoln Center in New York City (2014). From 2009-2012 he served as the Director of Contemporary Music at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he brought jazz, Latin, and gospel influences to an alternative worship service. Ryan also spent several years emulating the likes of James Brown, Tower of Power, and Earth Wind and Fire as the baritone saxophonist for the 11-piece funk outfit, Archie Funker.