Audio Always an Eagle: John Ryster

When you talk to Morehead State alumni, you hear a familiar refrain—stories of how they found their way to this special campus. And more often than not, those stories begin with a nudge from a family member who had walked these same hills, sat in these same classrooms, and carried a love for MSU that never faded.


That’s exactly how John Ryster’s journey began. He left the Buckeye State for the Bluegrass. And, while his studies prepared him for a construction management degree, it was his love for music that truly set his soul on fire.


At the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, John didn’t just learn to play—he discovered a calling. He mastered the art of string instruments, but even more remarkably, he turned his passion into a craft. Today, John Ryster isn’t just a musician. He’s a luthier—an artisan whose handcrafted Appalachian violins are making waves far beyond the mountains of Kentucky. His work has earned a reputation that stretches across the U.S. and beyond, with orders pouring in from around the world. And if you’ve ever heard the soul-stirring music of Tyler Childers, you may have already heard the sound of a Ryster violin.