EPK
Bio
Bryan Charles Wilson is a cellist, composer, educator, and author from Teaneck, New Jersey. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Cello Performance and Music Composition, and New Jersey City University with a Masters of Music in Multi-Style Strings, his education allowed him to create his own voice as a cellist and composer. His compositions are soulful cello songs that incorporate drum beats and synthesizers, often with a focus on improvisation. From classical to rock to hip hop to electro, Bryan has experience playing and improvising on the cello in a variety of musical situations. In 2017, Bryan released his debut solo album, Oso Perezoso, followed by his solo cello album for meditation, Inner Peace. In 2018, he released, Kaia, an album he wrote for the birth of his first daughter. In 2023, Bryan will release Tri Âm, a cellistic ode to Vietnamese music and culture.
From 2011 to 2017 he was the the cellist/composer for the post-rock band, You Bred Raptors? and toured all over the United States and Canada. The band has been featured on Good Day New York, The Atlantic, The Economist, Metro USA, Strings Magazine, The Record, Soundcheck WNYC, New York Magazine, and Bass Guitar Magazine. In 2018, Bryan formed the world music/electronic fusion band, Amalgamy, with multi-instrumentalist, Lubomir Smilenov, and released their debut album, Cynefin.
During his residency in Vietnam from 2018-2019, Bryan collaborated and performed with a plethora of illustrious Vietnamese musicians including the master of the dàn tranh, Duyệt Thị Trang, and flautist, Nguyễn Đức Minh. Bryan was featured numerous times on Vietnamese television and performed to packed concerts across the country. He was selected for and participated in two highly sought after FAMLAB music residencies in which he and other artists worked together to compose new music that combined indigenous ethnic music in Vietnam with contemporary elements.
A highly sought after session player, Bryan has recorded cello for a plethora of artists including Qais Essar, Jules Born, DJ Unwind, Ryan Rapsys, Scott McRae, Spencer David Hutchings, Dimitri Ehrlich, Matt Mulholland, Jules Born, Gabriel Leonard, Dan Exactly, The Big Drops, and many more. In addition to tracking live with artists, Bryan records remotely at his professional home studio, Bryan Wilson Cello Studio, and sends stems to artists online.
Bryan has written three books: Advanced String Jams (2020), Beginner String Jams (2020), and Cello Chords (2011). String Jams is for violin, viola, and cello and features original compositions with backing tracks in contemporary genres such as Hip-Hop, Hard Rock, Reggae, Singer-Songwriter and more. Cello Chords is the first book to take an in depth look at the chordal possibilities of the cello and players from across the globe have found it to be an excellent resource. His books have been reviewed favorably in Strings Magazine, The Strad, American String Teacher, and The New Directions Cello Festival Newsletter.
Bryan Charles Wilson is also a music educator, cello instructor, and director of the Bryan Wilson Cello Studio. He has taught classes in composition and chamber music for the Community Arts Partnership Music Program at California Institute of the Arts, cello lessons at the Paramus Community School, and cello and piano lessons at The Village School in Waldwick, NJ. Bryan offers private cello lessons to students of all ages and levels in Northern New Jersey and all across the world via Skype. He focuses on giving a strong foundation on the instrument through classical music repertoire and exercises, but also teaches students about improvisation and playing the cello in contemporary/popular music situations.
Music
PRESS
“Wilson goes for it - and goes for it in many other ways and moments over the course of the record, and in so doing, gives something of himself that others might not have the courage to openly present. His courage is a gift.”
-New Directions Cello Festival Newsletter Vol. 23, No. 2
“Without doubt, the book is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in playing jazz, pop or any other genre outside the classical world.”
-The Strad May 2012
“In an endlessly complicated and often scary world, never underestimate the healing power of music, dance and the human connection.”
“These fun tunes are cleverly written and arranged to make playing various styles of music more accessible to young people. Learning how to play so many kinds of music was never so fun!”
-American String Teacher November 2021