Dr. Nash Ryder began playing violin at the age of seven and went on to study with world-renowned artists and pedagogues Donald Weilerstein, Ronald Copes, Frank Huang, and Robin Scott. He earned his B.M. and M.M. in violin performance from the Juilliard School and was the first student in the institution’s history to receive both undergraduate honors and an accelerated graduate degree. He later received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music.

He is currently assistant professor of instruction in violin at the University of Northern Iowa and the concertmaster of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. Former rotating concertmaster and teaching artist of the New World Symphony, Dr. Ryder has also performed with frequently with Florida Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Iowa. He is a faculty member of Rocky Ridge Music in Colorado.