Alissa Dorman Ruff is an accomplished pianist, a seasoned collaborator, and a dynamic performer with a versatile range of experience. Most recently, she performed Mozart's Concerto in D minor with the Martinu Philharmonic in the Czech Republic as part of the International Concerto Festival. She also recently participated in the International Music Festival of the Adriatic (2023), where she performed both solo and chamber repertoire and premiered new compositions in nine concerts in Northern Italy and Slovenia. She has showcased her talents in venues such as Duino Castle near Trieste, Italy and the Archbishop's Palace in Kromeriz, Czech Republic, where Amadeus was filmed.
Alissa is an active contributor and educator within the music community. She has presented at various conferences, including the Utah Music Teacher Association Conference, where she introduced teachers to the MusicLink Foundation and discussed their role in fostering equity and inclusion. At the Texas Music Teacher Association Conference, she presented her original arrangements of Marguerite Canal’s vocal works. Additionally, two of her articles - "Helping Students Develop a Mature Why" and "Helping Students Fight Their Mental Battles" - have been featured in Piano Magazine.
Alissa is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. She received the Jack R. and Mary Lois Wheatley Endowed Leadership scholarship, which she used to support her research on Marguerite Canal’s song cycles. Earlier this year, she placed first in both the International Concerto Festival's Mozart Competition and the Ruth Burr Piano Competition. She was also awarded First Alternate in the MTNA Young Artist Competition (Idaho) in 2023 and has been honored twice by the Minerva Teichert Prize for Creative Work for her advocacy of women in the arts.
With over a decade of teaching experience, Alissa currently teaches private and group lessons through the University of Houston Community Arts Academy and the Tallowood Academy of Fine Arts. Alissa also serves as the Southwest Region Coordinator for the MusicLink Foundation, where she organizes music lessons for children with financial need, recruits teachers, and coordinates instrument donations.
Alissa Ruff is currently pursuing a master’s degree in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Houston, where she studies with Dr. Todd Van Kekerix. She received her bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Brigham Young University with Dr. Stephen Beus. When she is not practicing, performing, or teaching, she enjoys composing and arranging sacred music.