Music

Photograph of me conducting the closing performance of Sweeney Todd (Sunnyvale Community Players, October 2023). (photo: Jason Loveman)

This page (rev. 04/17/2024) is intended to be a digital curriculum vitae for my musical endeavors, including a comprehensive list of projects, collaborations, performances, etc. in which I’ve been involved! This is how I spend most of my time outside of work/academics, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Any publicly available recordings of my work are linked below. I’ve also taken the liberty of linking collaborators and organizations with whom I’ve been fortunate enough to work.

A single-page résumé can be found here (rev. 04/17/2024).

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

biography

Ruiran Xun[*] (she/her) is a collaborative pianist and music director based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

She is a 2022 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where she received B.S. degrees in chemistry and computer science, but was consistently involved in theatre and other musical endeavors outside of academics. She also earned a minor in collaborative piano from the School of Music. Ruiran has previously worked with the Pittsburgh Festival Opera (resident artist pianist, assistant music director) and the CMU School of Music (voice lesson and rehearsal pianist). While at CMU, she was assistant conductor for the All-University Orchestra; music directed three mainstage productions by Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, a student-led theatre organization; and participated in many more projects in various capacities (composer, arranger, pianist).

Throughout the Bay, Ruiran has contributed to many productions as a music director, vocal director, rehearsal pianist, and/or audition pianist. She has also subbed as a rehearsal pianist, pit keyboardist, and/or conductor for other projects. Some local companies she’s worked for include Sunnyvale Community Players (Next to Normal, The Little Mermaid, Sweeney Todd), Cabrillo Stage (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, In the Heights), The Pear Theatre (Falsettos), South Bay Musical Theatre (A Little Night Music, Mary Poppins), Foothill Music Theatre (Legally Blonde), and Stanford TAPS (Assassins).

Ruiran is particularly interested in developing new works as a music director and/or music assistant. Recent new work credits include JUSTICE: A New Musical, written by Lauren Gunderson, Kait Kerrigan, and Bree Lowdermilk (music director, Marin Theatre Company workshop & production, 2022–2023); and TRAVELS, written by James Harrison Monaco (music assistant, Ars Nova workshop, 2023).

She will be relocating to NYC in the summer of 2024.

[*] name pronunciation: roo-RAN SHREEN

2022–2024 (Bay Area)

productions and performances

new works

musical theatre

  • In the Heights (rehearsal pianist) @ Cabrillo Stage, Aptos, CA; 07–08/2024. Dir. Estrella Esparza-Johnson, mus. dir. Michael J. McGushin.
  • Mary Poppins (rehearsal pianist, sub. keyboard 1) @ South Bay Musical Theatre, Saratoga, CA; 05–06/2024. Mus. & voc. dir. David Herberg.
  • Assassins (vocal director, rehearsal pianist, keyboard 1) @ Stanford TAPS, Stanford, CA; 04–05/2024. Dir. Karina Gutiérrez, mus. dir. Sixto F. Montesinos Jr..
  • The Wedding Singer (keyboard 2) @ Harker Conservatory, San Jose, CA; 03/2024. Mus. dir. Catherine Snider.
  • The Little Mermaid (keyboard 1) @ The King’s Academy, Sunnyvale, CA; 03/2024. Mus. dir. Richard Krishnan.
  • Legally Blonde (rehearsal pianist) @ Foothill Music Theatre, Los Altos Hills, CA; 03/2024. Dir. Milissa Carey, mus. dir. Michael Horsley.
  • A Little Night Music (music director, conductor) @ South Bay Musical Theatre, Saratoga, CA; 01–02/2024. Dir. Walter M. Mayes, voc. dir. Anita Hsiung Carey.
    “… couples waltz in ever-changing circles and couplings… all the while dancing to an admirably played score by the 15-person orchestra under the direction of Ruiran Xun.” – Talkin’ Broadway
    Earned the Bobo Reardon Newcomer Award. BroadwayWorld San Francisco article.
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (keyboard 1, sub. conductor) @ Sunnyvale Community Players, Sunnyvale, CA; 10–11/2023. Dir. Thomas Times, voc. dir. Stacy Levin, mus. dir. Val Zvinyatskovsky.
  • The Little Mermaid (music director, piano/conductor) @ Sunnyvale Community Players, Sunnyvale, CA; 09–10/2023. Dir. Caitlin Papp, voc. dir. Kristina Nakagawa.
  • Ragtime (keyboard 2, rehearsal pianist) @ Lyric Theatre, San Jose, CA; 07–08/2023. Dir. Gary Stanford, Jr., voc. dir. Juanita Harris, mus. dir. Daniel Thomas.
  • Falsettos (keyboard 2, sub. piano/conductor) @ The Pear Theatre, Mountain View, CA; 06–07/2023. Dir. Janie Scott, mus. dir. Val Zvinyatskovsky.
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (rehearsal pianist) @ Cabrillo Stage, Aptos, CA; 07/2023. Dir. Vinh G. Nguyen, mus. dir. Michael J. McGushin.
  • Next to Normal (vocal director, rehearsal & pit pianist) @ Sunnyvale Community Players, Sunnyvale, CA; 04–05/2023. Dir. Vinh G. Nguyen, co-voc. dir. Stacy Levin, mus. dir. Val Zvinyatskovsky.
  • The Addams Family (music and vocal director, piano/conductor) @ Landmark Musical Theatre, San Francisco, CA; 10–11/2022. Dir. Rana Rines.

operetta

  • Iolanthe (rehearsal pianist) @ Lyric Theatre, San Jose, CA; 07–08/2023. Dir. Doreen Finkelstein, mus. dir. Michael Taylor.

concerts & events

  • Black & White Time Warp Ball (pianist) @ City Lights Theater Company, San Jose, CA; 04/2024.
  • A Night On Broadway: Broadway Miscast (pianist) @ Sunnyvale Community Players, Sunnyvale, CA; 03/2024.
  • Winter Harmonies (pianist) @ Sunnyvale Community Players, Sunnyvale, CA; 12/2023.
  • Spring Soirée (pianist) @ Theatre Bay Area, San Francisco, CA; 05/2023.
  • (Not listed: collaborative pianist for several student recitals.)

substitute engagements

Dates reflect the duration of my involvement, not the duration of the productions’ runs (as is otherwise the case on this page).

  • Violet (keyboard 1) @ West Valley College, Saratoga, CA; 04/2024. Mus. dir. Troy Davis.
  • Matilda (keyboard 1) @ Palo Alto Players, Palo Alto, CA; 09/2023. Mus. dir. Amanda Ku.
  • Rent (rehearsal pianist, keyboard 1) @ South Bay Musical Theatre, Saratoga, CA; 08–10/2023. Voc. dir. Andrea Kline, mus. dir. Christine Lovejoy.
  • Into the Woods (pianist) @ SCU Presents, Santa Clara, CA; 06/2023. Mus. dir. Scot Hanna-Weir.
  • Starmites (keyboard 2) @ Playful People Productions, San Jose, CA; 05/2023. Mus. dir. Holly Jones.
  • Something Rotten (rehearsal pianist) @ Musical Theatre Works, San Francisco, CA; 12/2022. Mus. & voc. dir. Meghan Jolliffe.

miscellaneous

  • Maestra Jam (07/2023) @ Power Station at Berklee NYC, New York, NY.
    Performed in a reading session hosted by Maestra featuring four songs from in-development musicals. Music directed/conducted “One Wrong Turn” by Rae Covey (orch. Anna Ebbeson, copyist Athena So); played piano for “Make a Move” by Britt Bonney and “Growing Up” by Alex Goldie Golden.

technical theatre

2018–2022 (college)

productions and performances

new works

  • The Great Hunger (composer) @ The Tank, New York, NY; 09/2021. Wr. Kallan Dana, dir. Erica Schnitzer.
    Composed songs for an original play.
  • Virgula Divina (music director, conductor, pianist) @ Pittsburgh Festival Opera, 07/2019. Comp. Karen Brown, libr. Jessica Lanay, dir. Rose Freeman, co-mus. dir. Robert Frankenberry.
    Excerpts from the new opera performed as part of Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s Fight for the Right series of original work.
  • Night Flight of Minerva’s Owl (music director, pianist) @ Pittsburgh Festival Opera, 07/2019. Comp. Guang Yang, libr. Paula Cizmar, dir. Rose Freeman, co-mus. dir. Robert Frankenberry.
    Scene from the new opera also performed as part of Fight for the Right.
  • Mister Rogers’ Operas (asst. music director, pianist) @ Pittsburgh Festival Opera, 07/2019. Dir. Tomé Cousin; mus. dir., arr. Robert Frankenberry.
    Supported the development of a new show based upon two opera episodes written and composed by Fred Rogers.

musical theatre

  • Preludes (keyboard 1) @ CMU School of Drama, Pittsburgh, PA; 04/2022. Dir. Moses Garcia, mus. dir. Matthew Zwiebel.
  • Rent (music director, piano/conductor) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA; 04/2022.
  • The Rocky Horror Show (co-music director, piano/conductor) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, 10/2021.
  • Little Shop of Horrors (keyboards 1 & 2, audio editor) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre (virtual production), 04/2021.
  • The Light in the Piazza (rehearsal pianist) @ CMU School of Music, 01/2020. Dir. Seamus Ricci, cond. Christopher Larkin.
  • Catch Me If You Can (rehearsal pianist, keyboard 1) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, 10/2019.
  • Mamma Mia! (music director, keyboard 1) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, 04/2019.
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (rehearsal pianist, mallet percussion) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, 10/2018.
  • Mary Poppins (rehearsal pianist, keyboard 1) @ TJ Theater Arts, Alexandria, VA; 02/2018.

opera

  • The Turn of the Screw (rehearsal pianist) @ CMU School of Music, Pittsburgh, PA; 04/2020. Dir. Kyle Lang, cond. Sara Jobin. Rehearsal process abridged due to COVID-19.
  • Die Liebe der Danae (pit pianist, keyboard 1) @ Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Pittsburgh, PA; 07/2019. Dir. Rose Freeman, cond. Benjamin Makino.

student new works

  • 124 Bluestone Road (transcriber) @ CMU School of Drama, 05/2022. Wr. Sammie Paul and Nick Grosso.
    Transcribed the iteration of the show performed in 12/2019 at Playground XVII.
  • LIMBO (arranger, music director, pianist) @ CMU School of Drama, 04/2022. Wr. Nick Grosso, dir. Katia Peppas.
    Assembled a piano/vocal score from recorded demos, rehearsed with actors, and performed the show (notably, all in the span of under a week).
  • 69 Love Songs (assc. music director) @ CMU School of Drama, 02/2022. Wr. Wendy Kuhn and Izadorius, mus. dir. Aaron Morrison.
    Assisted in the rehearsal process.
  • Behind Closed Doors (composer, audio editor) @ Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, 10/2020.
    Composed a piece (for which Katherine Cole Sabel wrote the lyrics) and contributed to audio editing for a show featuring original work by Scotch’n’Soda student members.
  • This Side Up (rehearsal & pit pianist) @ CMU School of Music, 02/2020. Wr. Matthew Zwiebel.
    Played piano for a staged reading of one of Matt’s original musicals.
  • Birds & Beansprouts (rehearsal & pit pianist) @ CMU School of Drama, 12/2019. Wr. Joe Young, dir. Emma Cordray, mus. dir. Joshua Gregg Fried.
    Performed at Playground XVII, a festival of independent student work.
  • High School Choosical (rehearsal & pit pianist) @ New Works Coffeehouse, 05/2019. Comp. Joshua Gregg Fried, wr. Katherine Cole Sabel.
    Played piano in a short original musical featuring choose-your-own-adventure audience interaction.

cabarets

  • Matt Zwiebel’s Musical Theatre Cabaret (05/2022).
    Played piano in a cabaret featuring 14 of Matt’s original musical theatre songs.
  • Everything In Its Time: A Musical Cabaret (02/2022).
    Played piano in a cabaret featuring a variety of musical theatre selections, taking the place of Joshua Gregg Fried’s senior recital.
  • 12th Annual Benefit Cabaret (10/2019).
    Played violin for a Scotch’n’Soda cabaret benefitting the Alumni Theater Company.
  • Miscast Cabaret (05/2019).
    Played piano in a Scotch’n’Soda cabaret where actors performed songs for roles they typically wouldn’t be cast in.
  • 11th Annual Benefit Cabaret (10/2018).
    Played piano for a Scotch’n’Soda cabaret benefitting the Alumni Theater Company.

concerts

miscellaneous

technical theatre

  • Don Giovanni (mobile app operator) @ Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh, PA; 10/2019.

work experience

  • Scotch’n’Soda Theatre (vice president), 05/2021 – 05/2022, Pittsburgh, PA.
    Served as VP on the Board during my senior year, overseeing mainstage productions and managing a variety of administrative tasks throughout the year.
  • CMU All-University Orchestra (assistant conductor), 05/2021 – 04/2022, Pittsburgh, PA.
    Stepped in for some rehearsals on behalf of the conductor, conducted the Chamber Orchestra in two concerts, and also assisted with routine logistical operations as a member of the Board.
  • Scotch’n’Soda Theatre (secretary), 05/2019 – 05/2020, Pittsburgh, PA.
    Served as secretary on the Board of Directors during my sophomore year, overseeing mainstage productions and writing a weekly update email to the organization.
  • CMU School of Music (accompanist), 09/2018 – 03/2020, Pittsburgh, PA.
    Played piano for first- and second-year voice students’ lessons, and worked as a rehearsal pianist for a few of the departments’ opera productions.
  • Pittsburgh Festival Opera (resident artist pianist), 06/2019 – 07/2019, Pittsburgh, PA.
    Worked on multiple productions, as well as played piano for coachings, recitals, and cabarets in the Young Professional Artists Program.

education

Carnegie Mellon University, 08/2018 – 05/2022, Pittsburgh, PA. Earned dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Computer Science with a minor in Collaborative Piano. (More information here if you’re curious!)

skills I have

instruments

  • piano (19+ years, classically trained)
  • violin (11+ years, classically trained)
  • mallet percussion (2 years in high school, primarily marimba)
  • voice (4+ years)
  • guitar (~2 years, novice-level)

software

  • MainStage 3
  • Dorico Pro 3.5
  • Finale
  • Logic Pro
  • Ableton Live

other

Music direction, vocal direction, audition accompaniment, sightreading and sightsinging (high proficiency), piano conducting, stick conducting, transcription (both by ear and from MIDI stems in a DAW), absolute pitch

skills I would like to acquire

  • A more formalized knowledge of vocal technique, both in classical and contemporary contexts! Everything I currently know is secondhand from being in rehearsal rooms with people far more experienced than me.
  • A working knowledge of orchestration so that I can better assist in developing new musicals.
  • An understanding of sound engineering beyond the miscellaneous knowledge I’ve picked up while music directing!

References available upon request. Affiliations: Maestra, MUSE, AFM Local 6.

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