Trumpeter Ryan Darke enjoys a diverse career as a performer and educator. He is currently in his 7th season as Principal Trumpet of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra led by conductor James Conlon and as Lecturer of Trumpet at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University of Long Beach.

As an educator, his energy and commitment to his students is a tremendous priority and truly a passion of his. In addition to his position at CSULB, Ryan is also a Lecturer of Pedagogy (Graduate Level) at The Colburn Conservatory of Music. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Arizona (2015-2017), a guest lecturer at The Juilliard School, Tianjin, a studio teacher at the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts, Program Director of Brass & Trumpet at the Montecito Music Festival, a Graduate Assistant Teacher while a masters student at Rice University, and the Brass Head at his alma mater Cerritos High School.  

Throughout Ryan’s orchestral career he has played full seasons with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (2nd trumpet), San Diego Symphony (principal trumpet), and a year of fellowship at New World Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas. In addition, he has played short-term contracts with Auckland Philharmonia, The Malaysia Philharmonic, and the Stavanger Philharmonic.

In addition, he has played with orchestras across the United States including San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, and the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra in San Diego. With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ryan has appeared as guest principal trumpet, played in the LA Philharmonic Brass Quintet, and joined two international tours (Venezuela and Scotland).

He has enjoyed positions at summer festivals including three seasons as associate principal at the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, in Santa Cruz. He has also played at Britt Festival Orchestra, Castleton Festival Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, two summers at the National Orchestra Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, Bar Harbor Brass Institute, and seminars at Domaine Forget.

In addition, Ryan enjoys recording work in Los Angeles, and frequently performs at Warner Brothers, Sony, Capital Records, and Fox Studios. He can be heard on many motion pictures and television shows including The Greatest Showman, Turning Red, The Mandalorian, Mulan, The Suicide Squad, The Simpsons, Star Trek: Picard, and more.