Dr. Ryan Loken, Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Minnesota Duluth, is recognized throughout the region for his expertise as an educator and multi-disciplinary collaborator. Recent solo performances have featured works by Francisco Perez, John Luther Adams, Emma O’Halloran, and other contemporary composers. Loken performs regularly with regional orchestras, including the Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, Itasca Symphony Orchestra, and the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he was a guest artist at the Oregon Fringe Festival in Ashland, Oregon, where his ensemble, MinusOne Percussion, performed John Luther Adams’s “Strange and Sacred Noise,” creating immersive musical experiences alongside fellow artists.
His commitment to holistic musicianship is reflected in his total-body approach to percussion, emphasizing the importance of both physical and mental health. Certified in Noa Kageyama’s “Bulletproof Musician” course, Loken integrates mental resilience and deliberate practice techniques into his teaching. He also incorporates mobility, calisthenics, and sports medicine principles to promote lifelong healthy musicianship. Loken has been involved with Rob Knopper’s Audition Hacker Academy since its inception in 2015, where he serves as a beta tester for new courses.
In addition to his role at UMD, he performs with his cello duo partner, Magdalena Sas, with whom he is currently working on their debut CD of newly commissioned works celebrating underrepresented composers. An advocate for new music, Loken actively commissions and performs a range of original works, including duets, quartets, and mixed chamber ensembles. Beyond performing, Loken also persues scholarly research. He is working on a grant-funded multi-disciplinary research project with Brent Fischer, AuD, and David Anderson, P.h.D, “Characterizing Earplug Effects on Complex and Impulsive Noise Exposurers,” with the focus of understanding how effectively earplugs can eliminate unwanted noise exposure and promote lifelong hearing health for musicians.
Loken’s primary percussion mentors include David Eyler and Sigurd Johnson; he has also studied composition with Jocelyn Hagen and Kyle Vanderburg. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Concordia College, as well as Master’s degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Theory Pedagogy, and a DMA in Percussion Performance from North Dakota State University.