Born in Glasgow in 1999, Ryan Corbett is a classical accordionist who has been described as “one of Scotland’s most exciting young musicians” (The Scotsman). When Ryan was eleven 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 Tillet 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.
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 and 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.
The concert will feature works by Bach and Tchaikovsky, alongside original works for the classical accordion.
Ryan’s appearance is supported by funds kindly provided by The Tillett Trust as part of its Debut programme which aims to help young musicians of outstanding talent to achieve performance platforms in the early stages of their careers.