About Me
Ruby Lee, a South Carolina native, currently resides in Greenville, SC. She began her musical studies at the age of seven, playing the clarinet. Although the clarinet was not the instrument for her, here is where she first found her love of collaboration. She soon began to teach herself piano, then eventually switched instruments and began taking piano lessons. Years later, she decided to continue her studies in pursuit of a bachelor's degree at North Greenville University.
Immediately, she was thrown into the world of collaboration. Her first chamber encounter was with the North Greenville University String Ensemble where she played arrangements of popular hymns and Christmas pieces. This quickly afforded her the experience of playing Hummel's Piano Quintet, op. 87. From this experience, she knew that collaboration was her passion. Finding the conversation in the music and discussing the different colors and moods in the music with her colleagues are what intrigued her the most. At North Greenville University, Ruby's accomplishments include: Assistant Music Director for Beauty and the Beast: The Musical, keyboardist for NGU's Wind Ensemble, and pianist for NGU's String Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble. She was also inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society.
Finding the conversation in the music and discussing the different colors and moods in the music with her colleagues are what intrigued her the most.
She then continued her studies at Louisiana State University, pursuing a Masters in Collaborative Piano under the tutelage of Dr. Ana María Otamendi and Michael Gurt. Here she was granted wonderful duo and trio ensemble performance opportunities, in addition to coaching young instrumentalists and singers on the collegiate level. In a local production of Les Miserables, she served as a keyboardist, all the while serving as rehearsal and performance pianist for the new chamber opera Seneca Falls for LSU’s Opera Fest. Furthermore, she was afforded the opportunity to serve as the ballet pianist for classes and performances for LSU.
After completing her Masters, she attended the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee where she earned a performer’s certificate in chamber music with the renowned Elena Abend. Here, she was a featured soloist with UWM’s Concert Chorale for their performance of Jake Runestad’s A Silence Haunts Me. Her next adventure takes her to Ottawa, Iowa where she will serve as the music director and coach for the operatic adaptation of Pinocchio, as well as the rehearsal and pit pianist for the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the American Gothic Performing Arts Festival this summer!