Biographies
Ryan Dakota Farris has quickly become one of the most exciting and in-demand conductors in the Pacific Northwest. Ryan was recently appointed as Music Director of both the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra. He also serves as assistant conductor for Lake Union Civic Orchestra and frequently guest conducts groups across the region, including the Issaquah Philharmonic, Octava Chamber Orchestra, and Seattle Festival Orchestra. This past summer Ryan was one of two conductors from across the country invited to be a fellow at the Bellingham Festival of Music’s inaugural conducting institute.
Currently pursuing his doctorate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Washington in Seattle, Ryan serves as conductor of the Campus Philharmonia Orchestras and assistant conductor of the University of Washington Symphony. In recent years Ryan has worked as cover conductor for professional orchestras across the country, including the Auburn Symphony in Washington and the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado. He has also served as assistant conductor for Colorado MahlerFest and the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras, and as a sectional conductor for Seattle’s Harmonia Orchestra & Chorus.
Ryan was a proud student of the late maestro Michael Jinbo at the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival in Maine for five summers. He has studied with many notable conductors including Ludovic Morlot, Mercelo Lehninger, David Alexander Rahbee, Donald Schleicher, Kensho Watanabe, and Tiffany Lu.
Off the podium, Ryan has performed as principal cellist with the Boulder Opera Company, Seattle Philharmonic Strings, and the University of Washington Symphony. He appeared as a featured concerto soloist with the South Puget Sound College Orchestra in 2019, and regularly performs in chamber music groups across the region. Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, he played regularly with some of Colorado’s best orchestras, including the Boulder Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony, and Colorado MahlerFest. Ryan also composes his own music, performs regularly on period instruments such as baroque cello & viola da gamba, and busts out the traditional Irish fiddle with acclaimed Seattle-based Celtic band Cavort.
Conductor Robert Stahly passionately furthers orchestral music through programs that reimagine classical works alongside engaging new and underperformed works. Robert made his debut conducting Copland’s “The Tender Land” in the Spring of 2023 at Colorado State University. He also conducted portions of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Symphony No. 33” in performance at the CCM Opera Bootcamp. Perpetually studying his craft, Robert additionally participated in conducting workshops at the Eastman School of Music, Bard College, University of Missouri Kansas City, and University of Colorado. His conducting teachers include Harold Farberman, Gianmaria Griglio, Mark Gibson, Apo Hsu, Neil Varon, Kevin Noe, Gary Lewis, Wes Kenney, and Dr. Rachel Waddell.
Robert is currently pursuing his doctorate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Washington. He serves as conductor of the Campus Philharmonia Orchestra and is an assistant conductor for the University of Washington Symphony. In recent years Robert was the apprentice conductor for the Fort Collins Symphony, the conductor of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra String Ensemble and conductor of the Longmont Youth Symphony String Ensemble. Off of the podium he was the associate principal cellist with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra and was the cellist for the Elevation String Quartet. A conductor who is passionate about music education, Robert continues to visit school music programs to coach new generations of musicians and teachers. During his 13 years at Longmont High School Robert tripled the size of the orchestra program while at the same time increasing the quality and diversity of the ensembles. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the top six educators in the St. Vrain Valley School District with an “Encore Award” and in 2019 he was a finalist for “Teacher of the Year.” Robert received his Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education, Tuba Performance, and a String Pedagogy Certificate from Colorado State University in 2008. In 2024 he completed a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting at Colorado State University.