Sought after for her musical versatility, Ruth is active as a choral conductor, oboist, educator, and administrator. Her love of music began with singing along to hymns with the church choir and Disney’s Little Mermaid soundtrack. Like Ariel, she found her voice singing in choirs and playing all kinds of oboes. Ruth is particularly excited about baroque music, and loves to introduce historical performance practice to curious minds.
Assistant Conductor of the Joie de Vivre Choir, Ruth celebrates the joy and diversity found in community music-making. She was the founding artistic director of Cor Unum Ensemble, a collective formed to
connect like-minded vocal and instrumental young artists in the Toronto early music scene. She is grateful to her mentors and teachers John Abberger, Jeanne Lamon, Daniel Taylor, Stuart Sladden, Stephanie Martin, Ruth Wiwchar, Dorcas Windsor, Robin MacMillan, and Doug Bairstow.
Ruth is a member of Sinfonia Spirituosa and Music Professionals of Manitoba (Local 190). She enjoys occasional performances with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and performing as a guest soloist with local organizations. A native of St. Andrews, Manitoba, performance opportunities have taken her across Canada and the United States, including solo performances with Sweetwater Music Festival, Theatre of Early Music, Rezonance Baroque Ensemble, and Seicento Baroque Ensemble.
Ruth teaches oboe online from her home studio in Wolseley. She has coached students from Trinity University in San Antonio, the University of Toronto, and the Manitoba Provincial Honour Bands. Ruth holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Manitoba and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Arts degree in Music History and Literature and Choral Conducting at the University of Northern Colorado.
Ruth was the Founding General Manager of the Toronto Bach Festival and has worked as an administrator for the University of Northern Colorado, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, The Toronto Consort, and Amherst Early Music Festival. She is an advocate of the bullet journal method in both work and everyday life.
Ruth recently returned to the beloved Manitoba prairies—Treaty One territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Lakota, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation—where she works for the University of Winnipeg and resides with her husband Vijay Chalasani.
