Concert Strings

Ryan Kozak began playing violin at the age 4 following his family’s return from Stuttgart, Germany. Just five years later, he was accepted into the York Junior Symphony Orchestra.  Since then, he has played in orchestras across the United States, Bulgaria and Hungary. In October of 2010, Ryan made his debut at Zankel Hall at Carnegie.
As a conductor, Ryan has covered various genres including opera, musicals, chamber and symphonic works. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, Ryan has been appointed the next Music Director of the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. He has had the opportunity to participate in workshops in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and the United States, which has included masterclasses with conductors from the Israel Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Austrian-Turkmenistan Symphony and the Sophia Philharmonic. Ryan previously served as the Assistant Conductor of the Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra for 6 seasons. During the Fall of 2012, he worked with members of Harmonius Blacksmith in preparation for the first ever student-run opera performance at the Sunderman Conservatory as Music Director.
An active violinist and violist, Ryan currently plays with ensembles across the Mid-Atlantic area, as well as having a private studio of students. He is also a member of both Cormorant’s Fancy and Dearest Home as their fiddle player, performing traditional Irish and Appalachian/Civil War era music. Ryan attended the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College where he received a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree as well as a Minor in Political Science from the Eisenhower Institute. He has also received his Master of Music degree in Conducting at the Lamont School of Music under the tutelage of
Dr. Lawrence Golan.