Elena Ruehr (born 1963, Ann Arbor) is an American musician, music educator and composer.

Life and career

Elena Ruehr's parents were a mathematician and an English professor. She grew up in

Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the U ...

and began piano lessons at age four. She studied composition at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

with William Bolcom and at

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

with

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own wo ...

and Bernard Rands. She also studied dance and has performed with Javanese and West African ensembles. In 1991 Ruehr took a teaching position at MIT. Her compositions have been performed internationally and some have been recorded and available on media. Many of Ruehr's compositions involve setting poetry to music. Ruehr is married to Seward Rutkove and they have one daughter, Sophie.

Selected works

Ruehr has composed works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo instruments and vocals. *''Ladder to the Moon'' (2003) for orchestra *''Toussaint Before the Spirits'' (2003), opera *''Cloud Atlas'' (2011), cello concerto *''Song of the Silkie'' (2000) for baritone, string quartet, text by Laura Harrington *''Sky Above Clouds'' (1993) for orchestra *''Bel Canto'' for string quartet *''Averno'' for choir *''It's About Time'' (2015) for chamber ensemble, commissioned by the

San Francisco Contemporary Music Players The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP) is a performing arts organization and unionized chamber orchestra that commissions, performs, and records innovative new music from across cultures and stylistic traditions. SFCMP incorporated in ...

Recordings

*"SHIMMER" on Metamorphosen. Metamorphosen string orchestra, Scott Yoo conducting *"TOUSSAINT BEFORE THE SPIRTS" Stephen Salters, Baritone and Opera Unlimited, Gil Rose, conducting *“HOW SHE DANCED”: String Quartets of Elena Ruehr Performed by the Cypress String Quartet. Cypress Performing Arts Association. *"JANE WANG CONSIDERS THE DRAGONFLY." Alexi Gonzales, Benjamin Seltzer, Sarah Brady, Heng-Jin Park, and Sarah Bob, named for insect flight expert Z. Jane Wang *"AVERNO" Marguerite Krull, Stephen Salters, The Trinity Choir, Novus NY, and Julian Wachner, conducting *"O'KEEFFE IMAGES" Jennifer Kloetzel, Cello, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, conducting. *"LIFT" Irina Muresanu, violin Ethan Filner, viola Jennifer Kloetzel, cello Sarah Bob, piano *"SIX STRING QUARTETS" Cypress and Borremeo String Quartets with baritone Stephen Salters *"FRESH PAINT” Radius Ensemble performance of Quetzal Garden

References

External links

Official composer pageComposer biography and recording of It's About Time
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruehr, Elena 1963 births Living people Musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan 20th-century classical composers American women classical composers American classical composers American women music educators University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni Juilliard School alumni MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences faculty People from Houghton, Michigan American opera composers Pupils of Vincent Persichetti 21st-century American composers Women opera composers 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American composers 21st-century American women musicians Classical musicians from Michigan 20th-century women composers 21st-century women composers American women academics