Matthew Ryals will be performing and teaching a workshop Developing an Improvisational Language with the Modular Synthesizer at the festival
Matthew Ryals
Matthew Ryals (he/him) is a New York City-based synthesist and composer-improviser whose music delves into improvisation, generative process, cybernetics, chance operations, and archival experimentation. Described as “a sonic explorer on the frontier of experimental music” whose work is “a fascinating foray to the edges of generative music production” (Plastic Mag), Matthew’s music has been praised as “brillant” (PopMatters) and for treating sounds “as if they were alive, breathing” to create something “truly immersive and unforgettable” (Beats Per Minute).
Matthew has released music on a wide range of experimental music labels, including four albums: Exalge on Infrequent Seams (2025), Impromptus in Isolation on Sound as Language (2022), Voltage Scores on Oxtail Recordings (2021), as well as a series of EPs called Generative Etudes which have been released in installments on several labels including 3OP (2025), SØVN (2023), and dingn\dents (2023). Upcoming releases include Finding Shape, a collaborative album with composer Jacob Sachs-Mishalanie which will be released on Oxtail Recordings (late 2026).
An active performer as both a soloist and in group configurations, Matthew takes a highly tactile live approach to the modular synthesizer—much like an acoustic musician shaping sound, he manipulates electricity by constantly adjusting dials, switches, and patch points, allowing each performance to unfold spontaneously in the moment. He has performed his music internationally, including concerts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, and across North America, and has notably been presented by Associazione Culturale Origami and Fonoroma in Mondovì, Italy; High Zero Festival and Diffusion Festival in Baltimore, MD; Indexical in Santa Cruz, CA; West Oakland Sound Series in Oakland, CA; Vekks and Celeste in Vienna, Austria; Ex Nihilo Festival in Omaha, NE; Exit Points in Toronto, ON; 2220 Arts & Archives in Los Angeles, CA; and more. Matthew has collaborated with artists such as Madison Greenstone, Nava Dunkelman, Jonas Engel, Niloufar Shiri, Nat Baldwin, Mehdi Rostami, Lina Alemano, Michael Foster, Chuck Roth, and more.
Matthew’s accolades include a 2025 Art Omi: Music Residency, 2025 Foundation of Contemporary Arts Grant, a 2022-23 New Music USA Award, and a 2021 IEA Electronic Media Residency. In addition, he has been commissioned by numerous dance and theater organizations, including two years as the Kulas Foundation Composer Fellow at Cleveland Public Theatre. His sound design has been featured by clients such as Triennale di Milano, Prada, Adidas, Kinema, and Riot Games.
A dedicated educator, Matthew teaches modular synthesis, electronic music composition, music production, and guitar to students worldwide, including workshops for Art Science Connect at THE GRADUATE CENTER CUNY and Indexical in Santa Cruz. He also co-curates Artifact, a Brooklyn-based experimental music series that was awarded a Brooklyn Arts Fund grant by Brooklyn Arts Council to support its 2025 season and has presented artists such as Lea Bertucci, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Brett Naucke, Cecilia Lopez, Brandon Lopez, Laura Cocks, and Joanna Mattrey.
Originally from rural Arkansas, Matthew holds an MM in classical guitar from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a BM from Arkansas State University.
PERFORMANCE
Matthew Ryals
Rotational Motifs – An Improvisation for Solo Modular Synthesizer
Time: 3:45–4:30 pm
Location: Theater
WORKSHOP
Matthew Ryals: Developing an Improvisational Language with the Modular Synthesizer
Time 5:00–6:00 pm
Location: Workshop space
Modular synthesist and composer-improviser Matthew Ryals leads a workshop covering his approach to live electronic improvisation. Central to the discussion is his dedicated improvisational synthesizer patch, a system continuously refined since 2022. Through sound demonstrations, Matthew will deconstruct his patch architecture, demonstrate performance techniques, and explore the concept of electricity as a raw material. He will also share his core philosophies on developing an individual improvisational language, optimizing electronic setups, and structured practice methods. The session will include opportunities for hands-on interaction with the instrument. *The workshop is open to everyone, including those with no prior knowledge of modular synths.*
