Ryan Middagh is an innovative bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonist, and educator who has traveled the globe sharing his unique blend of talents and musical influences with audiences and music students. A passionate advocate for jazz education at all levels, he pursues creative programming and is devoted to reaching diverse communities through jazz.
Equally skilled as a soloist, collaborator, and band leader, Middagh performs at jazz festivals around the world, including tours and performances on behalf of the U.S. State Department. While at home, he is a top-call studio musician in Nashville and performs in a wide array of genres. In addition to leading his jazz small groups, he directs the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, which released their debut record Live From Nashville in the fall of 2019, followed by their second album Tenor Madness in 2025, which has gained international critical acclaim.
An active jazz composer and arranger, Middagh has received numerous commissions from musicians and ensembles throughout the United States. He has written for Grammy-winning artists, DownBeat award-winning educational ensembles, and has had his work performed by prominent collegiate and professional ensembles.
Middagh is an artist and clinician for Yamaha saxophones, JodyJazz mouthpieces, D’addario reeds, and is the Director of Jazz Studies of the DownBeat award-winning program at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.