Bio

Ryan Harrison is a composer of music, educator, and wildlife photographer. For over twenty years, he has composed a multitude of works for various chamber and orchestral ensembles. His artistic output, be it musical or through other media, seeks to communicate and evoke emotions, sentiments, and themes universal to the human condition: e.g., loss, triumph, dread, hope. He has collaborated with a variety of ensembles and performing artists, including Mivos Quartet, Lunar Ensemble, Imani Winds, the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra, Horszowski Trio, the Weekend of Chamber Music, Jeremy Huw Williams, Timothée Varon, Astralis Duo, and members of the Louisiana Philharmonic.

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In addition to music, he has spent more than a decade photographing and documenting various bird species across Louisiana, North Carolina, and other southeastern regions of the U.S. Comprised of over one hundred species, his portfolio of bird photographs displays the striking beauty of our feathered neighbors and offers snapshots into their daily struggles for survival. In an increasingly digitized world full of screens, keypads and sedentary modes of living, the importance of engaging with naturalistic spaces is slowly eroding. He hopes to remind others of the captivating beauty that one may discover within a verdant forest, a muddy bayou, or while on a simple stroll in a park.

 

He holds a BA from the University of New Orleans, an MFA from Tulane University, and an MA and Ph.D. from Duke University.