Ryan Bair (b.1999) is an American born conductor and classical guitarist. He studied guitar under the tutelage of Michael Lewin at the Royal Academy of Music in London, UK. He also studies conducting under Professor Colin Metters in Belgrade, Serbia with the Belgrade Symphony Orchestra and in London, UK as well as with Dominic Grier at the Royal Academy of Music. He co-founded "Audentia Ensemble" in January 2019 and has premiered over four hours of music with them in concert or recording settings. As an advocate of modern and sometimes disregarded music, he aims to bring pieces to student-based orchestras that are rarely played. Recent engagements have included the world premieres of Marino Arcaro's "Concerto Apinaye" for Guitar and Orchestra, King's "Cantata Superba" for 5 singers and large ensemble, and a recording of Theodore Antoniou's “Hommage” for Guitar and Strings which will be released on Naxos as a part of Dimitris Soukaras’ album of contemporary Greek music for the guitar. During COVID-19 lockdown, Ryan organised a virtual orchestra and choir including musicians from leading orchestras and choirs across the planet to virtually perform the finale of Gustav Mahler’s 8th “Symphony of a Thousand” in collaboration with the Gustav Mahler Society UK. Since then, his relationship with the Society has flourished. Future engagements include a continuation of recording sessions aiming to record the complete music of Iasonas Maroulis that requires a conductor, the UK Premiere of Gustav Mahler’s Retouching of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony alongside a commissioned world premiere with the same forces as the Beethoven composed by Rafael Marino Arcaro, and work with the Gustav Mahler Society UK.
In his free time, Ryan is an avid wine fan, and enjoys traveling to vineyards to learn as much as possible.