About Ryan Doherty

Ryan started playing trombone in the 4th grade after watching a childhood friend practice before heading home from school. From this early age his competitive nature propelled him through the middle and high school years, successfully auditioning for prestigious youth ensembles in the DMV including Brass of Peace under the direction of Sylvia Alimena as well as several district, regional, and state-wide ensembles in both jazz and classical fields. Several invitations from under-staffed collegiate ensembles in the junior and senior years of high school bolstered his musical maturity and repertoire within an ensemble and as a solo player, and so he excelled in his preparation and execution of his undergraduate auditions.

Ultimately, Ryan selected James Madison University for his undergraduate studies, initially in the music education degree program but eventually switching to performance in order to have more available time to improve his playing ability. While attending JMU, Ryan participated in numerous ensembles both of the chamber variety and larger ensembles. He most fondly remembers his time in the JMU Brass Band under the direction of Prof. Kevin Stees, and the JMU Symphony Orchestra under direction of Dr. Robert McCashin and Prof. Foster Beyers. Playing storied works Finlandia, Mahler’s Symphony no. 2, From Ancient Times, and many other favorites in their respective genres played a massive role in further cementing his love for performing music. With guidance and wisdom from his professor Dr. Andrew Lankford, Ryan’s performance ability skyrocketed throughout his time at JMU, during which he shredded through much of the standard repertoire on his 3 undergraduate recitals performed internationally on several occasions.

After graduation and a brief hiatus from school, Ryan graduated again with a master’s degree in Trombone Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory under the tutelage of Dr. Matt Niess. During his time at the conservatory, he participated in the Shenandoah Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and the SU Trombone Collective. He also performed with the Valley Bones, a trombone quartet made up of trombone graduate students, and the Appalachian Brass, the graduate brass quintet at Shenandoah. Ryan has also played with the Friday Morning Music Club (FMMC), the McClain Symphony Orchestra, The Loudon Symphony Orchestra, and the Brass Band of Northern Virginia in which he is the principal trombonist.