Dr. Tula Ruggiero
A versatile musician, Dr. Tula Ruggiero moves with ease from wedding ceremonies to the orchestra pit, from religious ceremonies to the concert stage. In addition to the harp, Dr. Ruggiero performs on the piano as an accompanist, church musician, and event musician. A dedicated teacher, Tula instructs harp and piano students of all ages and levels, and presents educational programs on the harp. In addition to being adjunct professor of harp for Shepherd University’s School of Music, she is on the faculty of the Shepherd University Community Music Division and Berkeley Springs School of the Arts as harp instructor, on the faculties of the Berkeley Springs High School and Berkeley Springs Community Education as piano instructor, and maintains a private studio.
Ruggiero performs regularly in concert with area orchestras, as a recital soloist, with the Healing Waters Ensemble, for religious services at area churches, and with cellist Kevin Uppercue as the duet Duo Chordae. She has performed with Sinfonia Gulf Coast, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra, and the Masterworks Chorale. She can be heard playing principal harp on the Naxos recording, Dohnanyi Symphony No.2/ Two Songs.
Dr. Tula Ruggiero received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Harp from Florida State University’s College of Music. She earned the Master of Music in Pedagogy- Harp from the Shenandoah Conservatory where she studied with Elizabeth Blakeslee of the National Symphony Orchestra, a Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance from Montclair State University with André Tarantiles, and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Rutgers University in American Studies. She also trained at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts where she was accepted to the elite, full scholarship Performer Resident Program in harp with teacher, Gretchen Van Hoesen of the Pittsburgh Symphony.