gary ruschman | podium
"I don't recall a prior picnic operetta that handled harmonies with such care and commitment. His reverence for Mozart's music is clear, balanced by his guitar work..."
--Twin Cities Pioneer Press
--Twin Cities Pioneer Press
Music Direction/Education
Gary currently leads the choral and vocal programs at North Hennepin Community College and St. Timothy Lutheran
Church of St. Paul, and OVation, the portable chamber ensemble of One Voice Mixed Chorus. An active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, he has conducted Consortium Carissimi, Blue Waters Brass, Bach
Society of Minnesota's Bach with Friends retreats, and was
chorusmaster for Twin Cities Early Music Festival's 2015 production
of Gluck's Orfeo.
Ruschman has been music director for Mixed Precipitation's Picnic Operetta/Pickup Truck Opera since 2017, adapting and reorchestrating classic operas, alternating the action with pop covers, and leading the band via a variety of instruments. This annual production is often a collaboration with local chefs, who provide a five course tasting menu to go with the show!
An experienced opera educator, Gary served as director of Minnesota Opera's El Sistema IMAGINE! 2015 Summer Opera Camp in Worthington, MN, and has held education positions with San Francisco Opera, West Bay Opera, and Portland Opera. A co-recipient of Chorus America’s 2011 Education and Community Outreach Award, he has co-presented more than 300 choral clinics at festivals, universities, and schools coast to coast as a member of Cantus, and has taught in residencies at University of Minnesota, St. John's University, University of Wyoming, and Macalester College.
A member of NATS, Gary maintains a small studio of voice students with a focus on performance practice, theatricality, and healthy vocalism in a wide variety of styles. His students have appeared on the Hollywood round of American Idol and Off-Broadway productions.
