Marlene Claire Rua
A highly accomplished and versatile musician and educator, Marlene Claire Rua is
passionate about the value of an excellent music education. Marlene received her Bachelor of Music
degree magna cum laude from Ithaca College in Piano Performance and Choral/General Music
Education with a minor in Voice. She won a scholarship to spend her final undergraduate semester
at the Ithaca College London Center, where she studied piano with Kendall Taylor of the Royal
College of Music. Marlene holds a Master of Music degree in Musicology from the New England
Conservatory of Music.
Post-graduate studies focused on voice with tenor Richard Cassilly and his wife, soprano Patricia
Craig, opera singers of international acclaim. Marlene continued vocal studies with Ruth Drucker and Dr. Thomas H. Houser. Marlene also studied piano with Dorothy Taubman and Edna
Golandsky, teachers renowned for developing a healthy and efficient instrumental technique.
For thirteen years, Marlene served as Chair of the Music and Performing Arts Departments,
Director of Applied Music, Choral Director, and Teacher of Music at Garrison Forest School in
Owings Mills, MD. Before moving to Baltimore, she was Head of the Fine Arts Department at the
Winsor School in Boston, where she also taught music for fifteen years. Marlene has taught private
music lessons throughout her career.
In September, 2012, Marlene opened her own business, HeartBeat Music Center,
specializing in private lessons in piano and voice. Marlene also served on the applied music faculty
of the St. Paul’s Schools in Brooklandville, Maryland from 2012 through 2018. Born and raised in Kingston, New York, and having family roots in Albany, Marlene moved to Albany in October, 2018, wishing to be nearer to family and lifelong friends.
A member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honorary Society, Marlene has enjoyed
performing as a vocal soloist, piano soloist, collaborative pianist, chamber musician, choral conductor, choral singer, and liturgical musician.
Marlene is committed to developing in her students the knowledge and skills they need to
express themselves musically in meaningful, joyful, and rewarding ways – always in an atmosphere of
warmth and encouragement. She currently offers private lessons in piano and voice to students in
Albany, New York.
