Composer, performer, and sound artist, Ryan William Garvey (he/they, 1993), queers poetry and stories, collaborates with slime molds, writes virtuosic instrumental and electronic music, and improvises on his guitar and laptop often incorporating drones and feedback loops.
Their music has been featured at international venues and festivals including Leveld Knusnartun, SWT-Kulturwerk, Harvard University’s Studio 1, Prague’s Academy of Performing arts for the International Shakuhachi Festival, Holtschneider Performance center, MAYDAY. His work has been championed by the Grossman Ensemble, Nexus Chamber Ensemble, Tak Ensemble, Collective Lovemusic, Ensemble Dal Niente, Loadbang, Dana Jessen, and others. Current projects include a collaboration with Ty Bouque on a work for Baritone and Percussion, a recording project with Tak Ensemble, and an evening-length work for piano and electronics for Alfredo Ovalles, with others to be announced.
A recipient of the 2025 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, they were also a featured speaker at the 2024 Design History Society at the University of Creative Arts in Kent, Uk, presenting on their sound art collective, SlimeVolt. The Hyde Park Herald has described Ryan’s music as “conceptual art.” Their work draws from experimental jazz, 20th-century avant-garde, drone, and noise music while exploring the intersection of composition, technology, and improvisation—pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.
As Treasurer for A.PE.RI.OD.IC’s Board of Directors, they oversee the finances and contribute to the ensemble’s artistic vision. They also serve as UChicago’s Director of Personnel. Previously, he was the Artistic Director and co-owner of Clara Chicago where they curated music programming and the wine program. He also served as Chair of Communication for the University of Chicago’s Graduate Music Society, and they were the Director of Jazz and Guitar at Somerville High School from 2019-2020.
They are currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Composition and Computer Music at the University of Chicago. He holds degrees in Composition and Modern American Music from Longy School of Music (G.D., M.M.) and a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Rhode Island. Ryan’s composition mentors include Augusta Read Thomas, Hans Thomalla, Sean Shepherd, David Bird, Andrew Greenwald, and Aaron Helgeson. Beyond music, they enjoy cooking, practicing hot yoga, hiking, and developing and printing black-and-white film photography. They currently live in Chicago with their partner, Danny Rivera, their two cats, Grim and Pan, and their collection of 40 plants and shelves of books.
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Ryan William Garvey (he/they, 1993) is a composer, performer, and sound artist whose work queers poetry and stories, collaborates with slime molds, and blends virtuosic instrumental writing with electronics, drones, and improvisation. Their music has been presented internationally at venues including Leveld Knusnartun (Norway), SWT-Kulturwerk (Germany), Harvard University, and Prague’s Academy of Performing Arts, and performed by ensembles such as TAK Ensemble, Nexus Chamber Music, the Grossman Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, and loadbang. Garvey is the recipient of the 2025 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is pursuing a PhD in Composition and Computer Music at the University of Chicago.
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Ryan William Garvey (he/they, 1993) is a composer, performer, and sound artist who queers poetry and stories, collaborates with slime molds, writes virtuosic instrumental and electronic music, and improvises on guitar and laptop with drones and feedback. Their music has been featured internationally at venues such as Leveld Knusnartun (Norway), SWT-Kulturwerk (Germany), Harvard University, Prague’s Academy of Performing Arts, and MAYDAY (Providence). Ensembles including TAK Ensemble, Nexus Chamber Music, the Grossman Ensemble, Collective lovemusic, Ensemble Dal Niente, and loadbang have championed their work. Current projects include collaborations with Ty Bouque, TAK Ensemble, and pianist Alfredo Ovalles.
A recipient of the 2025 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Ryan has also presented research with their sound art collective SlimeVolt at the 2024 Design History Society in the UK. Their music, described by The Hyde Park Herald as “conceptual art,” draws on experimental jazz, the 20th-century avant-garde, drone, and noise while exploring intersections of composition, technology, and improvisation.
Ryan serves as Treasurer of A.PE.RI.OD.IC’s Board of Directors and as Director of Personnel for the University of Chicago’s music department. They are pursuing a PhD in Composition and Computer Music at the University of Chicago and hold degrees from the Longy School of Music (G.D., M.M.) and the University of Rhode Island (B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology).