Composer, performer, and sound artist, Ryan William Garvey (he/they, 1993), queers poetry and stories, perform free jazz and improvisational music on his guitar and laptop incorporating drones and feedback loops, collaborates with slime molds, writes virtuosic instrumental and electronic music.
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 Rage Thormbones and no-input mixing, Beyond This Point for 16-channel electronics, and 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.
Ryan is an active community member in the American experimental music scene. They are the Technical Director and Treasurer of Fonema Consort. They handle the 501(c)3’s ensemble’s finances, directs our interns, and produces concerts in halls and alternative venues in Chicago including the international museum of surgical science and the Wild Mile. Additionally, Ryan is the 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 New Music Ensemble’s Director of Personnel assisting with programming and managing and developing the ensemble’s roster. 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.
Full CV* One page CV
*contact for passwords to access scores
-
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.
-
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).