Sebastian Ruth

Sebastian Ruth is an American violinist, violist, and music educator, and a 2010 MacArthur Fellow, receiving the award for "forging a new, multifaceted role beyond the concert hall for the twenty-first-century musician." [1]

He is the founder of Community MusicWorks in Providence, Rhode Island, which works with young people in Providence neighborhoods “teaching them how to play string instruments".[2]

In 2010, the program had 115 students, 51% Latino and 16% African-American.[3]

Ruth's concept for Community MusicWorks "is to be as intrinsic to the fabric of a community as a clinic, library or church."[4] Accordingly, the group "provides its students – who range from elementary to high school – with a long-term instrument loan, mentoring relationships with teachers, as well as opportunities through workshops and field trips."[4]

Ruth is a 1997 graduate of Brown University and a faculty member at the Yale School of Music.[1]

He also received a 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from Michelle Obama.[1]

In 2012, Strings Magazine listed him as among "the 25 most influential people in the string music world".[5]