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BIOGRAPHY
Ryan Townsend has had the pleasure of living in several major US cities and working in their regional theatre communities. Spending most of his time on the East Coast, Ryan has enjoyed performing with fantastic companies such as Imagination Stage (DC), Rainbow Theatre Project (DC), OperaDelaware (DE), AVA Opera (PA), Florida Grand Opera (FL), and Actors’ Playhouse (FL) to name a few. Favorite roles include, Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour Krelborn), Assassins (Giuseppe Zangara), A Little Night Music (Henrik), La Traviata (Gastone), The Magic Flute (Monostatos), and Top and Bottom (James). Ryan’s favorite project has been the world premiere of the musical drama Not in My Town with Opera Fusion (FL) where he created the role of Matt Shepard.
Currently, Ryan is an Instructor in Musical Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL where he lives with his husband (Dimitri) and three cats (Eliza P Doolittle, Oliver P Mittens, and Skittle). Ryan is a certified personal trainer through the National Council of Strength and Fitness (NCSF) and a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) and University of Miami (MM).
IN THE PRESS:
Jack Reviews Musicals: ‘Assassins’ @ Fly North Theatricals
Regional Reviews: St Louis - ‘Assassins’
Top and Bottom at Rainbow Theatre Project
Review of ‘Assassins’ at Fly North Theatricals
Ryan Townsend Embodies Matthew Shepard In Musical Drama
Area Stage’s ‘[title of show]’ Proves a Meta Musical Charmer
City Theater Company Offers A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
UM Frost’s ‘Jackie O’ is a Wild, Satisfying Ride
Frost Opera Theater Offers an Array of Britten’s Stage Works
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PORTFOLIO
“Despite Ryan Townsend’s Giuseppe Zangara…spending the show hunched over in pain from Zangara’s severe intestinal adhesions, his beautiful tenor is crystal clear and his energy is unflinchingly aggressive.”
“Ryan Townsend is subtly iconic as Giuseppe Zangara…Mr. Townsend is hunched in a perpetual state of gut-wrenching agony, though we also get to hear his crystal-clear chorus voice near the end.”
“Townsend, in particular, shines as the fumbling, nerdy master who’s clearly not entirely comfortable in the role. ”
“McCabe and Townsend inhabit the creators’ roles with sass and zest.”
“Mr. Townsend weaves together a very complicated character as Henrik, a boy who sees things for what they are.”
“Ryan Townsend’s strong lyric tenor and theatricality dominated the Act 1 scene from Midsummer Night’s Dream in which Lysander turns from loving Hermia to Helena after being put under a magic spell. Townsend’s virile declamation was nicely matched by Laura Jarasek’s lyrical Hermia and Mia Rojas’ saucy and volatile Helena.”
“Ryan Townsend as Giuseppe Zangara…capture(s) the state of mind of (a) failure in both life and assassination.”
“Special kudos for Ryan P. Townsend’s clear, high tenor as the offstage voice of Kennedy asking Jackie’s forgiveness”
“Townsend...is thoroughly convincing as a hesitant and nerdy first-time dominant. He is all energy. His nervous tics are apparent to the audience...(he) and Gann are fantastic on stage together and bring a tenderness and understanding to their characters which allows the layers of this complex story to play out, while not being overbearing.”
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TEACHING INQUIRIES
The voice is a complex and fascinating instrument. Unlike our orchestral colleagues, the voice is intangible. We cannot touch the voice in order to play it. A lot of the understanding of the voice comes from sensation and response to find our vocal objective of flexible engagement, which eliminates a need for forced vocal production. In addition to finding a healthy singing technique, there is a necessity to communicate the text being sung with authenticity. Each singing student comes with a different background, possessing different strengths and having different needs. I work with each student on a personalized level, teaching them in the way in which they need to be taught. Working with them to find their own path to their most authentic voice and performance.
Going to the voice studio is much like going to the gym. It is a physical activity that requires dedication, strength, endurance, and conditioning. Learning how to intake breath and using it properly, creating necessary space so that the voice can resonate freely, these are the goals of the physical techniques of singing. When these goals are met, the voice is lined up to create a balanced, beautiful, reliable, and most importantly, healthy sound that can be used in any style of singing. With the proper technique in place, the singer can feel secure that they have ownership of their voice and then use the voice to deliver emotionally driven and diverse performances because they know that their technique is secure and not having to worry about their voice.
I am also a certified personal trainer via the National Council of Strength and Fitness. My interest in becoming a personal trainer is directly related to my growth as a voice teacher. Not only does this training give me deeper insight into the body, musculature, and systems but it has helped me understand the development of muscular coordination, strength, and behavior. Thusly, I am able to communicate the more clearly the adjustments that you, the singer, need to make from a physiological perspective.
At the end of the day, my job is to teach you, the singer, to be your own teacher and essentially make myself obsolete! The goal of our time together is to not only help you find your authentic voice and to use your voice to tell your stories, but to also help you know your voice inside and out so that when you are unable to be in the studio, you can rest assured that you know what your voice needs. Our objective is to make you such a fine singer, that you are able to make decisions for yourself and come into the studio for an occasional check-up!
My students have continued their studies in performance at some of the most prestigious schools of theater and music in the country: University of Michigan, New York University, Florida State University, University of Southern California, and Rider University to name a few.
If you would like to join me in the studio please fill out the information below. I look forward to working with you!
“My experience with Ryan as my vocal teacher is something I will never forget. Ryan has the incredible ability to relate to all of his students and truly makes an effort to understand their voice types. Since then, he has helped me understand the anatomy of my voice and has customized each vocal warm-up exercise to improve my vocal range in a healthy way. Consequently, every vocal lesson is a new learning experience for the both of us. Throughout my two years with Ryan, I have grown as a singer and have become more confident in my abilities.”
“My experience with Ryan as my voice coach has been nothing shy of phenomenal. I have gained so much control, confidence, and knowledge from my time studying with him and it has helped me to reach potential I never could have found on my own. He always works with my personal technical and artistic goals and pushes me to be the best I can be in the healthiest possible way. I am so grateful to have been his student, and I am so excited for everyone lucky enough to study under him in the future!”
“Studying with Ryan gave me the confidence I needed to take ownership of the artistry of my voice. Training with him provided me with a safe space to explore my constantly changing voice, which can often be delicate and the source of self consciousness for developing girls. Ryan never gratified me for mediocre work, but was never slow to praise growth and effort. Lessons were always fun and easy going, because he pays special attention to the student as a person, and not solely as a job. He puts his heart in everything, and it shows in his students’ excitement surrounding going to class and growing as singers.”