Bio

Ruth Ellis earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Manhattan School of Music. She studied and performed in New York for fourteen years. Dr. Ellis earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Utah in April of 2016. 

Ms. Ellis has enjoyed singing numerous operatic and musical theater roles and from Queens to Wardrobes, her favorite being the Fairy Godmother in Massenet’s Cendrillon (see Recordings). Of one performance the New York Daily News, which ran a feature article on Ruth, reported she sang with "soaring dramatic authority." 

Ruth concertizes regularly and has 57 sung concerts in venues across the nation. She has directed many shows including La Cenerentola at the University of Utah. Ruth has worked with world famous teachers, directors, coaches and conductors and she is happy to share her experience with other young singers. 

Dr. Ellis founded the Ruth Ellis Vocal Academy in 2000. She teaches there and as a guest presenter in other studios, schools and universities including the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University and Valdosta State University. She currently teaches in both the classical and contemporary voice departments at Brigham Young University. 

Ms. Ellis has served as a National Association of Teachers of Singing officer for 20 consecutive years and has just rotated off the national board. She is a pioneering researcher in the grading practice of applied vocal studies and presented some of her research at the NATS National Convention in Chicago, 2016. Ruth has also twice also completed the CCM Institute Training at Shenandoah Conservatory and the Rock The Audition Teacher Training with Sheri Saunders.  Ruth and her husband of 36 years, Doug Ellis, are the proud parents of six adult children.