Born June 6, 1971, Ryan Cohan, was introduced to music very early in life by his mother, who was a music teacher as well as a classical pianist and guitarist. Although, he began reading music by age five, his formal training began at age nine on the violin. A few years later he switched to the keyboard, and by his second year in high school, Ryan knew that he wanted a life dedicated to music and began an intense daily practice regimen at the piano.
   Wanting to deepen his jazz piano training led Ryan to DePaul University where he received his bachelor's of music degree in jazz performance in 1993. At DePaul, Ryan studied extensively with pianist Larry Novak and performed and recorded with the University's award winning Jazz Ensemble I. During two summer breaks between quarters at college, Ryan received full scholarships from Blue Note Records to study at a jazz institute at Skidmore College in New York, whose faculty included the late legend, Milt Hinton. After his collegiate training, Ryan was mentored further by his former DePaul professor, Cliff Colnot, on arranging concepts and techniques as well as by master jazz improvisation pedagogue, David Bloom.
   Currently based in Chicago, IL, Ryan maintains a busy schedule as an in demand sideman and composer and has worked with master jazz artists such as: Freddie Hubbard, Regina Carter, Joe La Barbera, Pat La Barbera, Curtis Fuller, Jon Faddis, Kurt Elling, Nick Brignola, Michal Urbaniak, and Kent Jordan among others. Ryan's diverse resume also includes a substantial list of commercial studio performing credits for such clients as: Sears, Nissan, Toyota, Budweiser, and Oprah Winfrey, a guest artist appearance in 1999 with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, and the 2001 music director position with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. As an educator, Ryan has been on the faculty of the New York Summer School Of The Arts program (1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004) and an accompanist and instructor at the Bloom School Of Jazz (1997-2000). Ryan has also worked independently as a clinician as well as representing the Urban Gateways and MusicAlive! programs playing for and working with students both locally and nationally (1991-present). In 2000, The Illinois Arts Council awarded Ryan an artist's fellowship grant for his work as a composer.

Since 1995, Ryan has held the piano chair with trumpeter Orbert Davis' various ensembles. The group's recent itinerary has included international touring and performances at the Chicago Jazz Festival and Symphony Center in a variety of settings from duo to jazz quartet with a full orchestra. Ryan is featured on Orbert's highly applauded recording, Priority (labeled "one of the most persuasive jazz recordings" in 2001 by the LA Times), in addition to Orbert's latest CD on 316 Jazz, Blue Notes. Ryan also appears on Orbert's video release, Orbert Davis' With Strings Attached.

Ryan's relationship with recording artist Ramsey Lewis began in late 1997 when he penned four compositions, including the title track, for Ramsey's 1998 album on GRP records, Dance Of The Soul. Their collaborations continued with Ryan performing on tour with Ramsey in 1999, and with Ryan's work as the primary arranger on Ramsey's CD, Appassionata, released by Narada Jazz in 1999. Ryan's work distinguished itself favorably in critics' reviews and marked a new direction in Ramsey's work. Billboard Magazine honored Appassionata with its 2000 Billboard Award for "Best Jazz Album." Ryan then contributed his writing skills to Ramsey's 2002 release on Narada Jazz, Meant To Be, featuring Nancy Wilson. Most recently, Ryan composed the theme song to the PBS TV program, The Legends Of Jazz, produced by Ramsey Lewis and Bill Curtis, and was commissioned to author arrangements for an upcoming solo piano recording by Lewis.

As a solo artist, Ryan's recording career began in 1997 with the independent release of Real World. Co-produced with Cliff Colnot, it featured many outstanding Chicago jazz instrumentalists as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing a repertoire of all Cohan originals. Ryan cultivated and sharpened his voice over the next few years, and followed Real World with Here and Now late in 2001. For this second offering of brand new compositions, Ryan complemented his world class midwest cast with the brilliant woodwind talents of Los Angeles', Bob Sheppard. Here and Now was distributed internationally on the U.K. based Sirocco Jazz record label and was Ryan's premier release under his own name to the global jazz community. A rarity for a debut release, it was met with critical acclaim and unanimous praise from reviewers in Europe as well as the United States.

(Photo by Jennifer Girard)

• 1991, 1993: Received Blue Note scholarship to study at Skidmore Jazz Institute in New York
• 1993: Received bachelor's degree in jazz studies from DePaul University.
• 1995-present: Member of the Orbert Davis Group. Performance activities with this group have included tours of Brazil, Korea, and Ukraine, and the critically acclaimed debut performance at Symphony Center in Chicago of Davis' Concerto For Jazz, Quartet and Orchestra. Also featured on Orbert Davis' With Strings Attached, a nationally released video featuring the Orbert Davis Group plus an eleven-piece string section as well as Orbert's brand new CD, Priority on 316 Jazz.
• 1996: Recorded first solo album, Real World, with many top Chicago jazz artists as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Co-produced with Cliff Colnot.
• 1997: Composed four compositions including title track for jazz artist, Ramsey Lewis' 1998 GRP release, Dance Of The Soul.
• 1998-1999: Arranged five of the selections on Ramsey Lewis' 1999 release on Narada Records, Appassionata. This album was named "jazz album of the year 2000" by Billboard Magazine.
• 1999: Performed in concert with The Chicago Chamber Musicians as a guest artist.
• 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003: Faculty member of the New York State Summer School Of The Arts.
• Performed in concert with jazz artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Jon Faddis, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, Pat La Barbera, Joe La Barbera, Todd Coolman, Nick Brignola, Kent Jordan, and Michal Urbaniak.
• 2000: Recorded and produced second solo album of all original compositions, Here and Now, which was picked up by the U.K. based Sirocco Jazz label and released internationally in the fall of 2001. Five of nine selections were co-produced with Cliff Colnot.
• 2000: Received Artists Fellowship Grant from the Illinois Arts Council for Composition
• 2001: Contributed a composition on Ramsey Lewis' latest recording on Narada Records, Meant To Be.
• 2001: Debuted arrangement of Duke Ellington's The Star-Crossed Lovers in New York in a performance by Curtis Fuller, Dick Oatts, Vince DiMartino, Frank Mantooth, Todd Coolman, and Ed Shaughnessey.
• 2001: Music director for the Chicago Human Rhythm Project's tap dance festival
• 2001: Featured performer at the Chicago Jazz Festival with Orbert Davis, and Franz Jackson.
• 2001: Ryan Cohan Quartet fall West Coast tour featuring Bob Sheppard, James Cammack and Joe La Barbera.
• 2001: Performed CD release concert with original sextet at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago
• 2002: Composed and produced original soundtrack to Michael Frolichstein's independently released short film, Dog Walker.
• 2003: Featured performer/clinician at the Purdue Jazz Festival
• 2003: Featured performer/clinician at the New Trier Jazz Festival
• 2003: Composer of the theme to The Legends Of Jazz TV show hosted by Ramsey Lewis
• 2003: Headline performer at the Neenah Jazz Festival in Neenah, WI
• 2003: Performed solo piano set at Symphony Center in Chicago as part of a concert event promoted as featuring "nine of the city's best performers."
• 2003: Headline performer/clinician at the Bloomington Jazz Festival in Bloomington, IN