Father-son piano duo ushers in holiday season at Bayou Theater

November 22, 2021 | UHCL Staff

Father and son pianists Donald and Barron Ryan have delighted audiences around the U.S. and internationally, blending classic and contemporary music into a concert experience you won't want to miss at University of Houston-Clear Lake's Bayou Theater on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

"I've been playing with my dad, giving home concerts since I was 6 years old," said Barron Ryan, who also performs as a solo artist. "He would always play a finale with me. It was Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood.' At that time, my dad was already my piano teacher."

The two have been performing together for 12 years, traveling the country and sharing the music they consider inspiring. "Fortunately, we have compatible temperaments, and we understand each other musically and otherwise," Ryan said. "We think music has the unique ability to connect with people, and my dad and I share that with each other and with our audience, who can also see us sharing it with each other."

Their Bayou Theater performance will ring in the holiday season with a concert entitled, "Merry and Bright: Songs of Christmas Cheer," featuring seasonal favorites in a variety of styles, including some of the duo's personal favorites.

"We're playing our own arrangement of classic sacred Christmas carols," Ryan said. "It's hard to describe our particular stamp. We're very rich sonically, maximizing the use of two pianos. This tour we're on is celebrating the release of our Christmas album, 'Adeste Fidelis: Deluxe Edition,' this month."

He said he hoped the audience would be filled with a sense of wonder and beauty they didn't know was possible. "We want our audience to walk away with an uplifted spirit they can spread in their life following the concert," he said.

For more information about UHCL's Bayou Theater, or to purchase tickets to Ryan and Ryan: An Evening of Great Joy and Cheer, go online.