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Talking Art with Barron Ryan

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The pianist and composer Barron Ryan will be in residency from February 21-26, 2022, as a Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist. A classical pianist by training, he has journeyed far from the traditional repertoire to embrace the wider musical world, often incorporating jazz and ragtime-inspired music into his compositions which results in his unique, “classic meets cool” style.

Named by Smithsonian as one of “Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021,” he uses music as a motivational tool to spread his message about perseverance and resilience.

Listen to the conversation here with Barron Ryan about the feeling of awe he hopes people experience when listening to music, the new opportunities for personal growth that often arise following rejection, and the importance of daring to reach beyond our own perceived limitations.

Numerous public performances are planned this week, including a ticketed PASS (Performing Arts Signature Series) event on Wed, Feb 23rd at 6:30 PM at CityView Celebrations in Moline, and a father-son piano duo performance, Ryan & Ryan: Going Gershwin at 7PM at the Geneseo High School Concert Hall. The complete event list can be viewed here. In addition, you can listen to his performance Thurs, Feb 24th at 7:00 PM at the Butterworth Center in Moline. In-person seating is sold out that evening, but on-line viewing is available.

The Visiting Artist Series, offered by Quad City Arts, brings diverse, quality professional artists to our community and provides outreach to students in both public and private schools and colleges throughout western Illinois and eastern Iowa.

Carolyn Martin joined WVIK as a host of Talking Art in 2017. A long-time fan of NPR programming with a love of storytelling and all art forms, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with creative people who beautify our community and make the Quad Cities region an even better place to live.