Formed in 2019 in Orem, Utah, the Collaborative Pianists Guild of Utah is an L3C trade association (tax-exempt) that supports its members with professional resources and continuing education. We advocate for professionalism in the music field between collaborative pianists and other musicians and their teachers.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Collaborative Pianists Guild of Utah is to raise awareness, expand vision, and promote excellence in the art of collaborative piano; and to create a liaison between collaborative pianists and the musical community of Utah. We seek to encourage interest in collaborative piano among student pianists through community outreach and education of fellow piano teachers and sponsoring events that recognize outstanding collaborative work among young pianists.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Members are listed in the CPGU professional or student directories and enjoy the ability to network with other collaborative pianists at meetings and in workshops. Events are designed to address the needs of collaborative pianists, including business practices, skill development, and more.
To attend a meeting or inquire about joining, click below.
Dr. Ruth Ellis has enjoyed singing numerous operatic and music theater roles and from Queens to Wardrobes and concertizes regularly having sung 58 concerts in venues across the nation and a few across the pond. Of one performance the New York Daily News reported she sang with “soaring dramatic authority.”
Ruth thoroughly enjoys teaching voice in both the classical and contemporary areas at BYU, she taught crossover voice at Snow College for five years, has taught at the Ruth Ellis Vocal Academy since 2000 and is a frequent guest teacher/presenter at many other schools and universities across the country. Ruth is currently serving as Governor of the NATS Cal Western Region and sits on the NATS National Board.
Dr. Ellis earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Manhattan School of Music and studied and performed in New York for fourteen years. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Utah, completed the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute training at Shenandoah Conservatory and is a member of the Marketing Impact Academy. To aid in bridging the gap between studying music and making money in music, Ruth founded the Vocal Instructor Academy, which she teaches courses in pedagogy and entrepreneurship. Ruth and her husband of 33 years, Doug Ellis, are the proud parents of six children.
Congratulations to the following Young Collaborative Pianists!
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Junior Division
1st - Erin Hughes
(student of Amanda Nixon)
2nd - Kaisa Woodruff
(student of Koji Attwood)
3rd - Charles Ward
(student of Amanda Nixon)
Senior Division
1st - Jill Smith
(student of Irene Peery-Fox)
2nd - Anna Davis
(student of Daniel Olson)
Collegiate Division
1st - Gregory Smith
(student of Stephen Beus)
2nd - Maren Giles
(student of Gerta Wiemer)
CPGU was invited to present a 45 min. demonstration on "Building Collaborative Skills in the Young Pianist". Jayne Galloway, Juliet Preston, and Lori Weiss contributed videos of rehearsal techniques and offered valuable knowledge for the piano teacher trying to encourage their piano students to develop these skills. To view, go to utahmta.org.