Ryan Corbett

Tillett Debut Artists 2022

Born in Glasgow in 1999, Ryan Corbett was eleven when his grandmother gave him a small accordion on which he taught himself to play Scottish traditional music, he started learning with Djordje Gajic at the age of fourteen and continues to do so. Ryan graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he is currently enrolled on the master’s course. Previously, he studied at the Music School of Douglas Academy and St Mary’s Music School.

Ryan was awarded the Keyboard Prize, first prize and Gold Medal at the Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition, first prize at the Bromsgrove International Musicians’ competition and prizes at international accordion competitions in Italy, Germany, and China. Ryan is a Tillett Debut scheme artist, Munster Trust Recital Scheme artist and the first accordionist to be part of the prestigious BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist scheme since its launch in 1999. As a member of the BBC scheme, he will be introduced to a wide audience through radio broadcasts, appearances at major venues including Wigmore Hall, and performances with BBC orchestras. He recently collaborated with the Columbian cellist and fellow NGA Santiago Cañón-Valencia in a recording of Piazzolla and Ginastera.

Ryan performed his accordion trio arrangement of Rameau for King Charles III on his official visit to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and subsequently he was invited to perform his arrangement of a Scottish tune at the King’s Honours of Scotland ceremony in St Giles Cathedral. The latter was broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 3.

One of Scotland’s most exciting young musicians.

Ryan has given concerts across Europe and the USA at venues including the Berlin Philharmonie. In the UK he has performed at major festivals including Bath, Norfolk & Norwich, St Magnus, Buxton, Cambridge, Ryedale, Lake District, Edinburgh, Lammermuir, Perth, Paxton, Oxford Lieder, Cumnock Tryst, and the Keyboard Festival at St George’s Bristol. Ryan recorded Bach’s fourth keyboard concerto with the Berliner Symphoniker and has appeared as a soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. He has also performed at private events for Sir Jackie Stewart and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

In 2021 Ryan formed an accordion duo with Djordje Gajic; its repertoire features an arrangement of Stravinsky's ballet 'Petrushka' and Ryan's own arrangement of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in Eb ‘St Anne’ which was described as "musically unified and utterly compelling" (Seen and Heard International). Recent collaborations have included duos with violin, cello, trumpet, flute, piano and voice, and he regularly performs in accordion ensembles with friends at the Conservatoire.

Ryan has featured as ‘Rising Star’ in the BBC Music Magazine, ‘Artist of the Month’ in Interlude HK, and ‘One to Watch’ in the Scotsman.

Ryan plays a Bayan Spectrum classical piano accordion made by Bugari Armando in Castelfidardo, Italy. This was made possible by the generous support of private sponsors, the John Mather Trust, and Dewar Arts Awards. Ryan is grateful to the Cross Trust, Drake Calleja Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, RCS Scholarship Fund and Help Musicians UK for supporting his studies.

Photo credit: ©Robert Piwko