Hear classic meet cool as pianist Barron Ryan presents “The Most Wonderful Time” on Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., at the Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center (FPAC), 9000 W. College Parkway in Palos Hills.
In his inventive and varied holiday program, Ryan will entertain the audience with new arrangements of Christmas songs spanning centuries of tradition from medieval chants to American pop, such as “I Wonder As I Wander,” “Wexford Carol,” “The Christmas Song,” “Feliz Navidad” and more.
Ryan was raised by musician parents and grew up in a house diverse with music from Chopin and Mozart to Motown and Michael Jackson. From that influence, he combines music genres into musical adventures he terms classic yet cool. In 2019, he composed the “Magic City” sonata and a dance suite, “Suite Thing,” combining funk-, pop- and country-inspired classical music. In 2021, Ryan was commissioned to compose a piece for Chamber Music Tulsa commemorating the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. He wrote a piano trio, “My Soul Is Full of Troubles,” for which Smithsonian Magazine named Ryan one of Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021.
Ryan has toured internationally and released several albums. Learn more and hear samples of his music at www.barronryan.com/.
Tickets can be purchased for either table seating on the stage or theater seating in the Dorothy Menker Theater. A table seat is $35 for adults, $32 for seniors 55+, and $30 for under 18 and veterans/active military. A theater seat is $30 for adults, $28 for seniors 55+, and $25 for under 18 and veterans/active military. For tickets, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac/tickets, call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500 or visit the Box Office in Building F Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
