Ryk
{{short description|German singer (born 1989)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{About|the singer|the protein|Related to receptor tyrosine kinase|other uses|RYK (disambiguation){{!}}RYK}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Ryk
|image =
|caption = Ryk in 2018
|birth_name = Rick Jurthe
|alias =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1989|11|30}}
|birth_place = Gehrden, West Germany
|death_date =
|origin =
|genre = {{hlist|Alternative rock|indie pop}}
|occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|record producer}}
|years_active =
|label =
|website =
}}
Rick Jurthe (born 30 November 1989), known mononymously as Ryk, is a German singer, songwriter and music producer.
Early life
Rick Jurthe was born in Gehrden, Lower Saxony. At the age of 5, Jurthe received their first piano lessons. Until they were 17, they studied classical training in the Russian school with pianist Vera Spindel, who came from Saint Petersburg. After graduating from {{lang|de|Gymnasium}} in Bad Nenndorf, Jurthe studied composition and music production at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, the Goldsmiths University of London and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.{{cite book |title=Zarte Klänge beim ESC-Vorentscheid 2018: Das ist Kandidat Ryk |publisher=tz |date=2018-02-22 |url=https://www.tz.de/tv/esc-vorentscheid-2018-ist-kandidat-rick-jurthe-alias-ryk-zr-9634011.html |accessdate=2018-05-13}} Since then they have worked as a songwriter, composer and music producer for various projects and artists in a wide variety of genres, including: the Cirque du Soleil and the Vienna Symphony.{{cite web |url=https://www.wienersymphoniker.at/de/veranstaltung/mancusi-conchita-vienna-love |title=Mancusi, Conchita / "From Vienna with Love" |accessdate=2019-11-02 |language=de}}{{cite web |author=Benjamin Hertlein |url=https://esc-kompakt.de/conchita-wurst-neues-album-tour-und-gemeinsamer-auftritt-mit-ryk/ |title=Conchita WURST: Neues Album, Tour und gemeinsamer Auftritt mit Ryk |date=2019-11-05 |accessdate=2019-12-01 |language=de}}
Career
Jurthe is involved in numerous voluntary projects to promote youth pop culture. In spring 2014 they were awarded the German Student Union Prize for their commitment.{{cite web |author=Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover |url=https://www.hmtm-hannover.de/de/aktuelles/meldungen/archiv/2014/juli/artikel/studentenwerkspreis-fuer-rick-jurthe/ |title=HMTM Hannover: Studentenwerkspreis für Rick Jurthe |accessdate=2017-04-06 |language=de}} In spring 2017, their film music for the short film Samira with Lucas Prisor was nominated for the award for best film music at the Aubagne International Film Festival.{{cite web |author=Philippe |url=http://festival2017.aubagne-filmfest.fr/fr/ |title=FESTIVAL 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407053712/http://festival2017.aubagne-filmfest.fr/fr/ |archive-date=2017-04-07 |accessdate=2017-04-06 |language=fr |url-status=dead}} Shortly afterwards, Jurthe was hired as composer and musical director of {{lang|de|Feuerwerk der Gymnastics|i=no}}, Europe's largest and most successful circus and variety show with 250,000 spectators annually.{{cite web|url=http://www.neuepresse.de/Menschen/Mensch-Hannover/Rick-Jurthe-komponiert-Soundtrack-fuer-Feuerwerk-der-Turnkunst|title=Rick Jurthe komponiert Soundtrack für Feuerwerk der Turnkunst|website=www.neuepresse.de|date=28 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719055937/https://www.neuepresse.de/Menschen/Mensch-Hannover/Rick-Jurthe-komponiert-Soundtrack-fuer-Feuerwerk-der-Turnkunst/|archive-date=19 July 2018|url-status=dead}}
On 22 February 2018, Jurthe took part as Ryk in the television show {{lang|de|Unser Lied für Lissabon}}, the German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.{{cite web |author=NDR |url=http://www.eurovision.de/news/Diese-sechs-Acts-sind-im-ESC-Vorentscheid-2018,kandidaten568.html |title=ESC-Vorentscheid: Das sind die Kandidaten |accessdate=2017-12-29 |language=de}} In autumn 2019, Jurthe appeared as a guest singer alongside Conchita Wurst at a crossover concert with the Vienna Symphony in the Stadthalle Vienna.{{cite web |url=https://www.wienersymphoniker.at/de/veranstaltung/mancusi-conchita-vienna-love |title=Mancusi, Conchita / "From Vienna with Love" |date=2019-03-06 |language=de |accessdate=2019-11-02}}
Jurthe was cast as the lead male vocal role in {{lang|fr|Cirque du Soleil|i=no}}'s residency show NYSA at the Potsdamer Platz Theatre in Berlin, planned for 2020. The show had been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |url=https://berlin.cirquedusoleil.de/ |title=Nysa kommt nicht ins Theater am Potsdamer Platz |language=de |accessdate=2021-05-11}} For the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were postponed to 2021, Jurthe designed the musical concept of the FIG Gala in collaboration with the Lower Saxony Gymnastics Association and the International Gymnastics Federation.{{cite web |url=https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/events/detail.php?id=15571#loaded |title=FIG - Event Detail |accessdate=2021-05-11}}
For the 75th anniversary of the German state of Lower Saxony, Jurthe composed a symphonic work for the Lower Saxony Youth Symphony Orchestra, which was premiered at a ceremony on 1 November 2021 in the Hanover Kuppelsaal.{{cite web|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Niedersachsen-feiert-75-Geburtstag-mit-grossem-Festakt,festaktniedersachsen100.html|title=Niedersachsen feiert 75. Geburtstag mit großem Festakt|website=www.ndr.de|date=1 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510215024/https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Niedersachsen-feiert-75-Geburtstag-mit-grossem-Festakt,festaktniedersachsen100.html|archive-date=10 May 2023|url-status=dead}} Since February 2023, Jurthe has been working as creative director of the gymnastics and acrobatics show {{lang|de|Feuerwerk der Turnkunst}}.{{cite web |url=https://sprossenwand.dtb.de/einblicke/vom-solosaenger-zum-kreativdirektor |title=DTB Sprossenwand - Musik {{!}} Vom Solosänger zum Kreativdirektor |language=de |accessdate=2023-03-02}} Jurthe took part in the German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Oh Boy",{{cite web |author=NDR |url=https://www.eurovision.de/news/Deutscher-ESC-Vorentscheid-2024-Ryk-mit-Oh-Boy,ryk164.html |title=Ryk wagt neuen Anlauf und tritt im deutschen ESC-Vorentscheid 2024 an |language=de |accessdate=2024-01-23}} ultimately coming third.{{Cite web|last=Mancheño|first=José Miguel|title=Isaak gana el Das Deutsche Finale y representará a Alemania en el Festival de Eurovisión 2024|trans-title=Isaak wins Das Deutsche Finale and will represent Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024|language=es-ES|url=https://www.escplus.es/eurovision/2024/isaak-gana-el-das-deutsche-finale-y-representara-a-alemania-en-el-festival-de-eurovision-2024/|date=2024-02-17|access-date=2024-02-17|website=ESCplus España}}
Discography
=EPs=
- 2014: Fables (Welthund Music)
- 2015: Polar (Roof Music)
- 2021: Parasite Future (Welthund Music)
=Singles=
- 2013: "Run" (Welthund Music)
- 2016: "Un-Unify" (Embassy of Music)
- 2018: "You and I" (Welthund Music)
- 2024: "Oh Boy" (Welthund Music)