M Ryan Taylor

Link: http://MRyanTaylor.com

     M Ryan Taylor
     856 N 350 N
     American Fork, UT 84003
     (801) 492-6284

COMPOSITIONAL PREMIERES

• Small World Fantasies for String Quartet - Stradivarious Quartet at the Stridulation Concert presented by Salty Cricket Composers Collective - Salt Lake City, UT (2008) 
• All Heaven and it was One Hour Old - Venicia Wilson, soprano - Salt Lake City, UT (2008)
• The Other Wise Man - Vocal Works - American Fork, Provo & Salt Lake City, UT (2006).
• A Light that Shames the Noonday Sun - Lawrence Vincent, tenor - Provo, UT (2005).
• The March of the Three Kings - Utah Premiere Brass & The Timpanogos Chorale - American Fork, UT (2005)
• Maui : The Legendary Hero - Orchestrations commissioned by the Imagination Celebration - SLC, UT (2005)
• Abinadi: A Music Drama, Premiere w/ full orchestra, BYU opera - Provo, UT (Oct 2003).
• Premier broadcasts February & March 2004 on BYUTV & KBYU. Continuing broadcasts are periodically on BYUTV.
• Carnival Processional for Brass - Chicago Brass Choir - Chicago, IL (1999).
• The Moons Songs - Heather Chipman, soprano & Dwight Bigler, piano - Provo, UT (1999).
• Fantasy for Organ - Carson P. Cooman, organist composer - Rochester, NY (1999).

EDUCATION

• Master of Music, emphasis in Composition, 2002 Brigham Young University.
• Bachelor of Music, emphasis in Vocal Performance, 2000 Brigham Young University.

HONORS & AWARDS

• 2008 Opera America Scholarship to attend NPAC and Opera America convention in Denver 
• 2007 ASCAP Plus Award
• 2006 ASCAP Plus Award
• 2003 KBYU Honorarium for Abinadi: A Music Drama (broadcast on KBYU and BYU TV)
• 2002 Barlow Endowment Scholarship for Composition.
• 2000 1st place winner of the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Composition Competition for The Moon Songs.
• 1999 BYU Office of Research and Creative Activities Grant for Composition.
• 1997-2000 Brigham Young University Talent Scholarship for Voice.
• 1990 Chapman University Talent Scholarship for Voice.
• 1990 1st Place in the Young Singer of the Year Solo Competition.
• 1990 Kay Effron Scholarship for excellence in Choral Music.

CONCERTS PRODUCED or DIRECTED

• 2008 Twelfth Night at Alpine Tabernacle
• 2007 Sing a New Song at Historic City Hall in American Fork
• 2007 O I AM AESOP opera in a month composition competition, concert held at Historic City Hall in American Fork
• 2007 Sacred Voice 2007 composition competition, concert held at Historic City Hall in American Fork
• 2007 Portrait of James Joyce at Historic City Hall in American Fork
• 2007 If Music be the Food of Love at Historic City Hall in American Fork
• 2006-7 Opera: The Other Wise Man, workshop performed in five venues
• 2006 Wicked Good - A Benefit for the Shropshire Music Foundation at Northampton House in American Fork
• 2006 American Fork Summer Concert Series Concert

PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE Operatic and Musical Theatre roles performed

• 2007 Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti - Balthazar
• 2007 The Lion and the Wood Nymphs by Jonathan Price - Father
• 2007 Quantum Mechanic by John Bilotta - Aesop
• 2006 The Other Wise Man by M. Ryan Taylor - Abgarus, Rabbi, Voice
• 2004 All Gold Canyon by Brian Hulse - Bill
• 2003 Abinadi by M. Ryan Taylor - King Noah
• 2002 Tartuffe by Kirche Mecham - Orgon
• 2001 Joseph! Joseph! by Crawford Gates - Willard Richards
• 1998 Cosi Fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Don Alfonso
• 1998 The Merry Wives of Windsor by Otto Nicolai - Sir John Falstaff
• 1990 Damn Yankees - The Manager
• 1989 Oliver - Mr. Bumble
• 1988 Fiddler on the Roof - Avrham the Bookseller

Partial List of Other Solo Experience

• 2008 Twelfth Night at Alpine Tabernacle
• 2007 Sacred Voice 2007 - Vocal Works Recital Series at American Fork Historic City Hall
• 2007 If Music be the Food of Love - Vocal Works Recital Series at American Fork Historic City Hall
• 2006 American Fork Symphony : Selections from the Messiah and The Other Wise Man
• 2006 TV appearances on ABC 4’s Good Things Utah and Park City TV
• 2006 Wicked Good! a Halloween benefit concert at Northampton House
• 2006 American Fork Summer Concert Series
• 2005 Marchof the Three Kings with Utah Premiere Brass & The Timpanogos Chorale
• 2004 The Wexford Carol with the American Fork Community Choir
• 2001 Aaron Copland 100th Birthday Celebration at BYU - 5 Old American Songs.
• 1999 St. John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach - Bass Aria Soloist.
• 1999 Sabbath Song Recital (Clayne Robison, event organizer and editor) -Baritone Soloist.
• 1998 Fantasia on Early Latter-day Saint Hymns by Mack Wilberg - Soloist All Creatures of Our God and King CD released by Tantara Records in 1999.
• 1998 B Minor Mass by Johann Sebastian Bach - Bass Aria Soloist.

Choral Directing Experience

• 2007-present Director of Phoenix Rising.
• 1995-present Church Choir Director.
• 1989-90 Student Director at Fountain Valley High School.

Partial List of Choirs Participated In

• Timpanogos Chorale (formerly the American Fork Community Choir) - American Fork, UT
• Voyces Christmas Caroling Quartet (Founder) - Provo, UT.
• BYU Opera Chorus - Provo, UT.
• BYU Concert Choir (soloist) - Provo, UT.
• St. Wilfred of York Episcopal Choir (section leader and soloist) - Huntington Beach, CA.
• Golden West College Chamber Singers (soloist) - Huntington Beach, CA.
• St. James Episcopal Choir (section leader and soloist) - Balboa, CA.
• Our Lady Queen of Angels Choir (section leader) - Newport Beach, CA.
• Chapman University Chamber Singers and Concert Choir - Orange, CA.
• Orange County Youth Choir (soloist) - Orange County, CA.
• The Troubadours (soloist) - Fountain Valley, CA.
• Fountain Valley High School Concert Choir (soloist) - Fountain Valley, CA

Link: http://MRyanTaylor.com

"Incredible!" "Beautiful music." "I was deeply touched." . . . comments from audience members in reaction to the music of M Ryan Taylor. Taylor is the author of operas like The Other Wise Man and Abinadi, both of which have been produced. Notable song cycles include A Light that Shames the Noonday Sun, All Heaven and it was One Hour Old, Leafs from the Diary of an Old Soul and The Moon Songs (a Vera Hinckley Mayhew Composition Competition winner in 2000). Taylor brings his sensitive vocal writing, born of his own university vocal studies, to his original choral music as well, and, as a former brass and wind player, is equally at home with instrumental chamber and orchestral music. He has written works that have been premiered or performed by the Utah Premiere Brass, The Chicago Brass, organists Neil Thornock and Carson Cooman, the Timpanogos Chorale, the American Fork Symphony and more.

Link: http://MRyanTaylor.com

"Incredible!" "Beautiful music." "I was deeply touched." . . . were some of the comments from audience members during the workshop production of M. Ryan Taylor’s chamber opera THE OTHER WISE MAN, his second opera. Taylor's first opera, ABINADI, which was produced by Brigham Young University on the mainstage in 2003, has been aired numerous times on KBYU and BYUTV. Lawrence Vincent, director of BYU opera commented, “[Taylor] . . . recognizes that the music often plays an important role in helping to describe movements on the stage.” Vincent later engaged Taylor to write a song cycle entitled A LIGHT THAT SHAMES THE NOONDAY SUN and was premiered by Vincent in December of 2005. Other notable song cycles include ALL HEAVEN AND IT WAS ONE HOUR OLD, LEAFS FROM THE DIARY OF AN OLD SOUL and THE MOON SONGS (a Vera Hinckley Mayhew Composition Competition winner in 2000).

Taylor brings his sensitive vocal writing, born of his own university vocal studies, to his original choral music and sacred arrangements available at ChoirWorks.com. Also, as a former brass and wind player, Taylor is equally at home with instrumental chamber and orchestral music. He has written works that have been premiered or performed by the Utah Premiere Brass, The Chicago Brass, organists Neil Thornock and Carson Cooman, the Timpanogos Chorale, the American Fork Symphony and more.

Taylor is active as a conductor and producer in the northern Utah region, organizing events ranging from classical recitals and benefit concerts to chamber opera productions and composition competitions. He currently directs two choirs: Phoenix Rising, a chamber choir focusing on Renaissance, Modern and Early American repertoire, and a church choir for the local congregation to which he belongs.