Ryan Marvel

Ryan Marvel is a native of Colorado. He began to tinker on the piano at a young age, watching his brother and grandmother play and recreate what he was hearing. Once in lessons, he frustrated his early teachers as reading music seemed like a burden to him. Eventually, he would come to know a teacher who understood individual creativity and taught him the value of reading to enhance arranging and composition.

Ryan began to think about classical piano as a career through his high school years, studying with Patricia Weaver in Durango. Responding to his desire to go to Julliard, his teacher would tell him “Great! Get ready to give everything to the dream…and get ready to give everything else up…like basketball, tennis, skiing…” Ryan reconsidered. He continued to compose and arrange music and attended NAU in Flagstaff on a music scholarship. At the time, it wasn’t a good fit for Ryan so he returned home to focus on composition.

For the next several years, Ryan worked in the restaurant industry. Days off were spent skiing and hiking and camping, and piano became more of a side pursuit. While he found success in the business, he always felt that calling back to music. In April 1999, he took a very part time job as a pianist at a small church in Chandler, AZ. That decision would bring musical fulfillment back into Ryan’s life for good.

In 2005, he released his first solo album, “Left Hand, Right Hand”, a collection of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Gershwin, some original arrangements and two original works for piano, including the evocative “Rainfall”. In June 2010 he followed with a record of all original material, “Possibilities”. A “musical journey of personal reflection”, the album has been nominated twice for Album of the Year honors, by SoloPiano.com and Whisperings Piano Radio, respectively. In November 2013, his first seasonal album, “Winter” was released. A collection of holiday music, the CD also features guest musicians on three tracks, adding flute, cello and didgeridoo. The title track is an original composition reflecting on the stillness and depth of the season. The album has recently been nominated for Album of the Year for a holiday album by SoloPiano.com.

In October 2017, he released his fourth album, “Reflecting Forward”, an all original release. The record is a very personal reflection of cathartic healing and moving through profound challenge. The album has won Album of the Year from Whisperings Solo Piano Radio and SoloPiano.com.

Ryan released his second volume of seasonal music, "Winter II" in November 2018. The album features many fresh arrangements on holiday classics such as "Ukrainian Bell Carol" and "What Child is This" and a unique "Dona Nobis Pacem" setting. Ryan also collaborated with cellist Heidi Mausbach on two settings of Bach-Gounod's "Ave Maria". The album won 2018 Album of The Year from SoloPianoChristmas.com.

Ryan released his sixth album "Generous Night, Redeem" in September 2019. The collection explores the human experience...love, loss, truth, memory, transformation and letting go. The album features a collaboration with his mother Betti, who penned an original poem to correspond with the music on the record. The album won Album of the Year honors from Whisperings Solo Piano Radio.

Ryan released "In Times Like These" in 2021, a healing collection of familiar covers arranged for solo piano in response to the division and social unrest of our time. His most recent release, "Moments" is a collection of all original material reflecting the moments that deeply imprint upon our lives.
Ryan will release "Winter III", a new collection of holiday stylings, in late November 2023.

Ryan serves as Director of Music for Namaqua Unitarian Church in Loveland, CO; he is the collaborative pianist at Zion Lutheran Church and works as the accompanist for Colorado Women of Song in Fort Collins. He was previously Director of Music Choirs at Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, CO from 2006-2017. Prior to moving to the Front Range, he worked as pianist in Chandler, AZ at Valley Unitarian Universalist Church from 1999-2005. Ryan frequently concertizes in homes and churches locally and nationally, and is in demand as a guest pianist and conductor. He has worked on several documentary projects in recent years, he works as an independent arranger and composer and also maintains a full private piano studio. Current projects include plans for future albums, arranging and composing for SATB choir and one day composing for feature films.

In his spare time, he loves to be outdoors at the ocean, or in the mountains hiking, skiing and camping. Passions include family, wolves, nature, red wine, really good coffee and sleeping until 11:00. Ryan’s true love is daughter Elena Rose, affectionately called “Lanie”.