Academic Degrees:

• B.A., Arizona State University 
• M.M., Arizona State University
• D.M.A., University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Biography:

Dr. Ryan Anthony Picone is a guitarist, composer and teacher who graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota in Spring 2023. Ryan has taught at the College of Saint John’s and Saint Benedict’s University since Fall 2022 and began his fulltime position in 2023. In 2012, he earned his master's degree in guitar performance at Arizona State University under the tutelage of Frank Koonce. After receiving his degree, he pursued his certificate of completion at the CSI Conservatory in Lugano, Switzerland where he studied extensively with guitar master Lorenzo Micheli. During his time in Switzerland, Ryan was invited to travel to Turkey to be a part of the Fethiye World Music Festival in 2014. In Fethiye, Ryan gave several performances and made connections with musicians from all around the world. Throughout his musical career, he has given several music based lectures, performances, master classes and demonstrations to help communicate the importance of music. In 2022 during Ryan’s presidency of the Classical Guitar Coalition at University of Minnesota, he was able to organize a master class with guitar legend, Marc Ribot. Marc worked exclusively with the students and faculty at the UOM and taught conduction techniques that he learned from his work with John Zorn. In 2020, during Ryan’s time at the UOM he directed the guitar ensemble. This opportunity allowed him to premiere a full concert program where he arranged all the music. These arraignments included the works of several Minimalist Composers including Arvo Part, Phillip Glass, Johann Johannsson, and Max Richter

Ryan’s jazz influence started at the same time as his classical influence, but his independent studies eventually brought him to study with the legendary guitarist Howard Alden. Currently, Ryan studies music with the film composer Stephane Wrembel, to better understand the compositional characteristics of the music of Django Reinhardt.

In 2022, Stephane Wrembel asked Ryan to perform at Town Hall in NYC during the 2022 Django A Gogo festival, where he performed a solo classical guitar work for a sold-out audience.

Recently, in 2023 Ryan completed his first book titled- The Compass Method, which involves several new concepts that are related to his understanding of solo improvisation, gesture theory and concepts of harmony. These concepts correlate directly to his studies with Alex Lubet, Guerino Mazzola, and Stephane Wrembel. In the summer of 2023 Ryan recorded his first album of original compositions titled - I Awake - at Wild Sound Recording Studio in Northeast Minneapolis. The Album, The Ryan Picone Quartet-I Awake, is scheduled to be released on December 2, 2023. This year Ryan is directing the CSBSJ Jazz Ensemble and is excited to be working with the next generation of artists, musicians, and composers.