DR. Ryan Murphy
Ph.D, SFHEA, MA, LTCL, PGCET (QTLS), FdA
Theatre, education and Instrumental Compositions
Hello! I’m Ryan Murphy, a musical director, composer, educator, and eternal enthusiast for all things theatrical and orchestral. For nearly twenty years, I’ve worked at the intersection of performance, composition, and education, helping to shape the next generation of musical theatre performers while continuing to develop my own voice as a writer of both theatre and instrumental music.
I’ve always been fascinated by how music can tell stories. That fascination led me to complete a practice-based PhD in narrative-driven orchestration; The Olympus Suite - a large-scale symphonic work that reimagines Greek mythology through musical storytelling. It remains one of my proudest compositional achievements, blending sweeping orchestration with programmatic detail and emotional depth. Alongside this, I hold an MA in Musical Theatre Composition and have composed across genres including choral, contemporary theatre, and filmic instrumental work.
In education, I’ve had the privilege of creating and leading practical training in Musical Theatre at various institutions across the country, including Cambridge, Essex, Bournemouth and London. Most recently, I’ve joined LAMDA as the Course Leader for the MA and MFA in Musical Theatre, a role I’m excited to shape, combining high-level performer training with creative exploration and innovation.
As a teacher, my specialism is ensemble singing and harmony work, helping students unlock their musicality through collaboration, blend, and bravery in sound. Whether in the rehearsal room, lecture theatre, or composing late at night at my piano, my work is rooted in storytelling, giving voice to ideas, characters, and emotions through music.
GALLERY
