Pianist Barron Ryan to play Saturday at Tecumseh Center for the Arts

TECUMSEH — Pianist Barron Ryan will bring his "Classic Meets Cool" concert tour to the Tecumseh Center for the Arts Saturday, Nov. 5

The performance is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors, youth, and military members and can be purchased online at thetca.org or at the TCA Box Office.

Ryan’s love for music has always been divided, according to a news release from the TCA. The son of two musicians, he grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Mozart to Michael Jackson. So, when it comes to his own work, he’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool.

After beginning piano lessons at age 4 with his father, Ryan seemed destined for a career in music, the release said. He excelled in performing throughout his middle and high school years in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then continued to impress his peers and instructors as a piano performance major at the University of Oklahoma. After winning a piano competition that sent its winner to perform internationally, Ryan found his artistic voice while on tour. He discovered the joy of jazz- and ragtime-inspired concert music (found on his debut album, "Classical with Attitude"), and learned from great jazz pianists by transcribing and replaying their solos (found on his second album, "The Masters’ Apprentice").

In 2019, Ryan noticed a shocking lack of funk-, pop- and country-inspired classical music. Realizing he could fill that void, he composed the “Magic City” sonata and a dance suite called Suite Thing. Those works are now published and recorded on his third solo record, "First of Its Kind."

In 2021, Ryan added commissioned composer to his growing list of accolades. Commissioned by Chamber Music Tulsa to produce a work commemorating the 1921 massacre in Tulsa, he wrote a piece for piano trio entitled "My Soul Is Full of Troubles." Smithsonian Magazine took notice and named Ryan one of Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021. Ryan is following in his favorite composers’ footsteps by publishing his original works in the public domain. He offers his work as a gift to the world and as a chance to collaborate with artists from around the globe, the release said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Pianist Barron Ryan to play Nov. 5 at Tecumseh Center for the Arts