William Ryden
1939-2018
Composer William Ryden was born in New York City in 1939 and was a life-long resident of Forest Hills, NY.
He received his training at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago; the Mannes College of Music, New York; and in private study with the late Hungarian maestro, Tibor Serly. Mr. Ryden’s work covers the full spectrum of vocal, choral, solo, chamber and orchestral music.
His principal compositions include a piano concerto, “Kaleidoscope” (a concerto for percussion), concertos for trumpet, clarinet, two horns, piccolo; a rhapsody for violin, string quartets, brass quintets; the musicals “Ragtag! or The Mayor’s New Suit”, and “Through the Looking-Glass”; and over 500 rags for piano.
A collection of twelve of these rags called “Glad Rags & Sad Rags” was recorded by Canadian pianist John Arpin and released simultaneously with a folio of the music by Squanlake Music. 1983 saw his Quintet for Oboe and Strings premiered by The Con Brio Ensemble at Carnegie Recital Hall.
His “Concerto in Ragtime” had its world premiere in 1992 conducted by James Sinclair with pianist John Arpin at Battell Chapel, Yale University, New Haven, CT. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His works have been performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and by numerous orchestras and ensembles around the United States, Canada, and Europe. They have also been presented on National Public Radio, WQXR, WBAI, WMNR and on New England Public Radio.
In 2000, Klavier released a CD, “Magnetic Rags,” featuring the Avatar Brass Quintet. Much of Mr. Ryden’s career was spent in broadcasting, where his credits included songs for Public Television’s Electric Company and the use of his “Rejoice and Be Merry (A Ragtime Christmas Carol)” as a Christmas theme for the CBS Radio Network.
He was awarded 25 grants from the Meet-The-Composer Foundation and an ASCAP Special Award. Many of his compositions were published by Warner Bros., E.F. Kalmus, International Music Company, Bourne Co., Masters Music Publications, Inc., and Manhattan Beach Music. He was a member of ASCAP.
For many years, in addition to his work as composer, arranger, conductor, and performer, he was the editorial director for Bourne Co./International Music Company. He died in 2018.