Photo by Tim Mar
Composer and conductor, saxophonist Bryan Lin (b. 1991) uses political and social commentary to smear the boundaries of musical genres and traditions, exploring the complexity of the human condition and seeking beauty in unconventional places. Subject matters for recent works have ranged from climate change denial (It’s just weather, 2020), to the vanity of self-promotion on social media (I’m so excited, 2019). Past collaborations include Musaics of the Bay, Guerrilla Composers Guild, Choral Chameleon, soprano Naomi Columna, San Franciso Choral Artists, Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra, and Monocacy Chamber Orchestra.
Bryan is an established conductor of choral and instrumental music and, unsurprisingly, has an affinity for contemporary works. In addition to conducting his own compositions, he has worked with other artists and ensembles, including composer Taylor Joshua Rankin, guitarist Stephan Kane, the Brig Urias-Sebastian Olarte Guitar Duo, and the contemporary choir Mouthscape, of which he was a founding member. As a performer, Bryan freelances as a jazz saxophonist and sings with the award-winning International Orange Chorale of San Francisco.
Outside of performing and composing, Bryan is an avid arts administrator. He currently works as the Manager of Ensemble Operations at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), overseeing all artistic operations for student large ensembles and working in tandem with prolific conductors such as Edwin Outwater and Nicole Paiement. In 2017, he was the Director for the Hot Air Music Festival's eighth season, an annual day-long new music marathon held at SFCM. He has also taught private lessons in piano, woodwinds, and music theory, and was previously a teaching artist with SFJAZZ and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music.
Bryan received his M.M. in Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying in the studio of David Garner. He also holds two degrees from Lehigh University — a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Music — where he studied composition with Paul Salerni and Steven Sametz. Further composition studies include instruction from David Conte, Sven-David Sandström, and Narcis Bonet. In 2016, he attended the European American Musical Alliance in Paris, receiving distinctions in harmony, score-reading, and counterpoint. His conducting mentors include Vince Peterson, Matthew Oltman, Jacques Desjardins, and Steven Sametz.
A native of New Jersey, Bryan is currently based in San Francisco. Outside of music, Bryan aspires to be a part-time comedian and the starting centerfielder for his intramural softball team. He also spends too much time thinking about what it would be like to compete on the reality TV show Survivor.
Bryan is an established conductor of choral and instrumental music and, unsurprisingly, has an affinity for contemporary works. In addition to conducting his own compositions, he has worked with other artists and ensembles, including composer Taylor Joshua Rankin, guitarist Stephan Kane, the Brig Urias-Sebastian Olarte Guitar Duo, and the contemporary choir Mouthscape, of which he was a founding member. As a performer, Bryan freelances as a jazz saxophonist and sings with the award-winning International Orange Chorale of San Francisco.
Outside of performing and composing, Bryan is an avid arts administrator. He currently works as the Manager of Ensemble Operations at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), overseeing all artistic operations for student large ensembles and working in tandem with prolific conductors such as Edwin Outwater and Nicole Paiement. In 2017, he was the Director for the Hot Air Music Festival's eighth season, an annual day-long new music marathon held at SFCM. He has also taught private lessons in piano, woodwinds, and music theory, and was previously a teaching artist with SFJAZZ and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music.
Bryan received his M.M. in Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying in the studio of David Garner. He also holds two degrees from Lehigh University — a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Music — where he studied composition with Paul Salerni and Steven Sametz. Further composition studies include instruction from David Conte, Sven-David Sandström, and Narcis Bonet. In 2016, he attended the European American Musical Alliance in Paris, receiving distinctions in harmony, score-reading, and counterpoint. His conducting mentors include Vince Peterson, Matthew Oltman, Jacques Desjardins, and Steven Sametz.
A native of New Jersey, Bryan is currently based in San Francisco. Outside of music, Bryan aspires to be a part-time comedian and the starting centerfielder for his intramural softball team. He also spends too much time thinking about what it would be like to compete on the reality TV show Survivor.
