Ruth Berry
Ruth has been a member of the South Carolina Philharmonic since 2008. She is deeply appreciative of the SC Phil’s culture of mutual respect and values the thoughtfully curated repertoire and strong sense of camaraderie that define each concert experience.
A versatile and accomplished cellist, Ruth is a founding member of several chamber ensembles, including the Castalia Quartet of the Catskills, the Fenimore String Quartet, the Magellan String Quartet, Ensembles Intermezzo, and Ensemble Sonaris. She serves as Principal Cello of the Fenimore Chamber Orchestra and the Colgate University Orchestra, and as Acting Principal Cello of Tri-Cities Opera. She also maintains memberships with the Binghamton Philharmonic and Catskill Symphony.
Ruth is the founder and Artistic Director of the musician-run chamber orchestra Lyra Vivace, as well as a unique musician collective, In Praise of Music. (www.inpraiseofmusic.org). She resides in her hometown of Hamilton, NY, after many years in Augusta, GA, where she served as Principal Cello of the Augusta Opera and Symphony and was Artist-in-Residence with the Magellan String Quartet at Georgia Southern University.
Since 1986, Ruth has performed each summer with the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra, specializing in continuo work on baroque and modern cello. When not in the orchestra pit, she lives in her historic and award-winning Kitt Shipman Memorial Chapel in Springfield Center, NY.
Ruth studied cello with Leslie Parnas at Boston University, where she received the Edwin E. Stein Award for Excellence in the Arts. Her graduate work at Cornell University focused on musicology, analytical techniques, and performance practice. She recently completed Certificates in Labor Studies from the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations.