Biography

Chris Ruiz is a native of Austin, Texas. He began playing the saxophone in 2001. In 2007, Chris entered into the prestigious Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music studying Saxophone Performance. He studied privately with Harvey Pittel and Dr. John Mills. While there, he played with many outstanding ensembles including the University of Texas Wind Symphony under the direction of Robert Carnochan, the University of Texas Jazz Ensemble under the directions of Dr. John Mills and Ronald Westray and the TexSax Saxophone Choir under the direction of Harvey Pittel. Chris received his degree in Saxophone Performance in 2011. In 2015, Chris relocated to Boulder, Colorado to pursue a Masters of Music in Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Chris has taught private lessons on the saxophone, flute and clarinet since 2009. At competitions, his students regularly earn chairs in highly rated concert and jazz ensembles and have been deemed "Superior" and "Best in Class". As well, the chamber ensembles he has coached have played at venues including the University of Texas Butler School of Music and the Texas Capitol Building. He has also been asked to be a guest clinician for both classical and jazz ensembles. In addition to teaching, Chris performs regularly in Boulder, Denver and surrounding areas. 

For more info, see Chris' ​Résumé