Long Bio (425 words)

Ryan McQuay Meredith is an American composer, trombonist, environmentalist, and advocate for the music of others. His work is distinguished by its expressive depth, textural nuance, and commitment to storytelling through sound. 

Writing across orchestral, chamber, solo, and vocal mediums, Meredith crafts music that strives for emotional transparency while embracing vibrant color, rhythmic sensitivity, and a keen architectural focus. His work is performed at universities, festivals, and professional stages across the United States and internationally, contributing to a steadily expanding presence in today’s contemporary music landscape.

Meredith’s work is often inspired by his experiences outdoors. His composition West of Nowhere (2024) for wind ensemble transports Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, into the concert hall. Similarly, his National Parks Series for trombone choir illustrates five American National Parks. His most recent commission, Sea Level (2025) for countertenor, horn, and orchestra, was commissioned jointly by the Music School of Delaware and the Wilmington Orchestra. The piece draws from Delaware’s landscapes, reflects Meredith’s ongoing interest in human–environment relationships and the ways musical narrative can illuminate ecological experience. The work also expands his engagement with distinctive solo instruments and the intersection of extended technique, coloristic writing, and dramatic pacing. 

Ryan works in a variety of mediums, from concert to computers to canvas. Other art forms serve as essential companions to his compositional process. He often engages with painting, photography, sculpture, and even macramé to find musically meaningful connections between art and lived experience. In a grant funded by CNY Arts Inc., Ryan composed Watercolors (2024), a work created in partnership with outdoor watercolor artist Mary P. Murphy. The premiere featured live painting and live music—a genuine conversation between visual and aural expression.

Meredith’s publishing portfolio includes titles released by Alias Press—an affiliate of the Theodore Presser Company—and the International Trombone Association. Additional works are published through his own company, R. McQuay Publications. His catalog spans chamber music marked by intricate instrumental dialogue, orchestral and band scores that merge sweeping gesture with intimate detail, and vocal music shaped by careful attention to text and character.

Parallel to his composing work, Meredith is an public-school music teacher, dedicated to fostering accessible, community-driven music-making. His work in Title 1 public education informs his artistic values, grounding his creative practice in curiosity, communication, and connection. He continues to collaborate with ensembles, soloists, and arts organizations nationwide while teaching in Syracuse, NY. He holds degrees in Music Composition from Syracuse University (M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). Apart from music, Ryan loves his wife, Hannah Dale, his two cats, and the color orange.