Ryan Urato

The task of a great leader is to inspire others in collective pursuit of a bold vision. For BUO violinist Ryan Urato ‘24, conducting the BUO in Ginastera’s Estancia Suite means continually leading the ensemble towards improvement while enjoying the beauty of the music in the moment. Rehearsal after rehearsal, Ryan brings enthusiasm, conviction, and a high level of technical expertise to the podium, setting an example for each musician to follow. Before Ryan’s public debut with the BUO on April 27th, we sat down with Ryan to learn more about his background as a musician and what goes on behind the scenes of conducting a symphony orchestra.

Raised in Massachusetts, Ryan began playing the violin at age seven. To this day, there is disagreement between Ryan and his mom about who deserves the credit for his entrance into the world of music. The foggy memories of childhood notwithstanding, Ryan is sure he picked up the violin of his own accord, though his mom claims it was her decision (we leave the resolution of this matter to the reader). Sports occupied much of Ryan’s spare time until part way through high school, when he attended his first classical orchestra concert. Describing the experience as “just awesome,” Ryan began devoting himself more to the violin. A loyal second violinist, he has always been fascinated with “the inner workings of the orchestra,” foreshadowing his future as a conductor dissecting scores and guiding the array of different parts into one cohesive whole. Ryan’s orchestral experiences during these years left a strong impression on him; now he describes orchestra as “the most fun thing I did during childhood!” Never one to complain about consistent practice or long rehearsals, perhaps picking up the violin was Ryan’s decision after all.

At Brown, Ryan continued playing the violin in the orchestra, but it wasn’t until his junior year that he began exploring the art of conducting. Reflecting on what interested him about conducting, he simply says, “It just seemed kind of cool.” Sometimes our instincts lead us to where we never planned on venturing. Conducting presented a unique opportunity to develop as a musician, demanding Ryan strengthen old skills such as artistic expression and interpretation, and also develop new skills like physical gesturing and spatial awareness. Hearing the music from the podium for the first time gave him a different perspective on what causes an orchestra to sound the way it does. To make adjustments during a rehearsal, Ryan explains a conductor must ask, “Why do things sound weird from my perspective, and how can I convey those ideas to what students are hearing in the moment?”Ryan’s experience as a violinist helps him relate to the orchestra’s viewpoint, but ultimately he feels that his instincts as a conductor have developed primarily through experience conducting. There is no substitute for putting in the hours behind the podium, baton in hand.

The stress of performing affects conductors just as much as other musicians. Artists are “never where they want to be,” Ryan confesses, which often makes it difficult to be pleased with a performance. With experience, however, the bigger picture emerges, the temptation of hyper-perfectionism recedes, and one learns to be content being present in the life-long process of growing as an artist. A difficult hurdle for many musicians to overcome, Ryan explains this change in mindset made him comfortable putting less pressure on himself to be perfect and instead embracing the call of a conductor to “bring out what’s on the page.”

Last winter, Ryan conducted the orchestra in the Brown Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker. Beautiful music aside, Ryan enjoyed the explicit story-telling aspect of conducting a ballet which opened new avenues for artistic expression. To begin the BUO’s Season Finale concert on April 27th, Ryan will lead the orchestra in 20th century Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia Suite, a piece featuring four dances from a ballet also written by Ginastera. The work is notably challenging for a conductor, but Ryan humbly says, “Ginastera does a lot of the musical work for you.” A truly dynamic piece filled with moments of grit and effervescence alike and culminating in an irresistible malambo, there is no doubt the EstanciaSuite brings a magic of its own to the hall. But it is the conductor’s vision which makes it come to life. With an energetic confidence that belies his careful preparation, Ryan will inspire and unite the orchestra to create Ginastera’s work anew – all without ever making a sound.

Next year, Ryan plans to work as a Spanish teacher in Massachusetts while continuing to study conducting. To whatever extent his professional journey and outstanding musicianship overlap, the BUO wishes Maestro Ryan Urato all the best in his future endeavors.