Richard Ryan grew up near Phoenix, Arizona, always dreaming of becoming a musician. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Indiana University and won his first professional orchestra position in the Louisville Orchestra at the age of 20. While in Louisville, Richard was also a staff conductor for the Louisville Youth Orchestra and maintained a private bass studio. Richard joined the Kansas City Symphony in 2011. He has been the bass instructor at the University of Kansas since 2013, and has been the Music Director of the Lenexa Community Orchestra since 2017.