Dr. Ruby Chou (she/her) is an arts executive, classical pianist, and educator based in Salt Lake City. She was one of 14 speakers selected out of 364 applicants for TEDxSaltLakeCity 2019– she shared how intergenerational learning fosters social empathy and mitigates social isolation. Her expertise on intergenerational learning environments developed through her teaching and research experiences as the Assistant Instructor of Group Piano at The University of Texas at Austin.

As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Chou performs locally and nationally with professional, amateur, and young musicians. In 2023, Ruby performed as 1 of 4 pianists for Ballet West’s historical revival production of Stravinsky’s Les Noces (The Wedding), which was last performed in the U.S. in 2011. For the bicentennial celebration of Edgar Allan Poe, she performed The Raven- A Monodrama for Mezzo-soprano, Viola, and Piano by Gerald Elias with the composer at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts.

As the executive director of Mundi Project from 2018-2022, a Utah-based nonprofit community music organization, Ruby advocated for the mission of actively breaking down socio-economic and generational barriers by providing quality music experiences for all. Mundi Project launched an intergenerational music program in Salt Lake City at Neighborhood House fall of 2019 that is still ongoing.

As an educator, Dr. Chou mentors 21st-century musicians as adjunct professor of piano and music entrepreneurship at Weber State University from 2018-2022. For the 2018-19 academic year, she also taught classical piano, collaborative piano, and piano pedagogy at Snow College Horne School of Music.

Seeing how vibrant the nonprofit sector makes a community, she was honored to be asked to join the Utah Nonprofits Association Board of Directors– to be a part of necessary conversations regarding our community and the nonprofit sector.

Dr. Chou earned a doctoral degree in Music and Human Learning—Piano Pedagogy Specialization from The University of Texas at Austin where she worked closely with Martha Hilley and Dr. Laurie Scott. She graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a Master’s degree in piano performance where she also studied pedagogy with Carol Ann Aicher. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Utah in Salt Lake City where she grew up after emigrating from Taiwan at the age of six and speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Currently, she works in the leadership and development field with FranklinCovey, a company built upon Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.