Ruth Chadd makes the harp come to life with intricate, plucky, curious arrangements that float and flutter in the air. Each song is calm, ambient, minimal and introspective, allowing the listener to drift in and out of a soothing light landscape of the mind. Be calm, stay curious and listen.” - Marmoset Music, Portland, OR

Biography

A classically trained pianist since age eight, multi-instrumentalist Ruth Chadd pursued composition from an early age in both acoustic and electronic forms. She is known both as a singer-songwriter for her arresting soul-filled lyricism, as well as a versatile composer for her nuanced and open-layered work on harp and piano.

As a harpist, Ruth's live performances show brave physicality and substance. With a background in classical piano and extensive music theory, her training lends freedom to her technical sophistication with percussive, poly-rhythmic motions that expose intricate soundscapes. From living room house concerts to large venues across the country, her presence as a performer and instrumentalist has captured many audiences.

While pursuing a BA in Religious Studies & Philosophy, and an MA in Comparative Religion, Ruth continued to moonlight her original songs as a solo performer, during which time she also lended her talents as a session musician for various recording artists, as well as backing vocalist/instrumentalist in Portland, OR (now Nashville, TN based) singer/songwriter Ezra Carey's indie rock band (The Fire Keeps Us Warm, 2008, Bladen County Records).

It was also during this time, while browsing one of her favorite local music shops, that Ruth saw an unmarked 22-string Celtic harp for sale. It was love at first sight and she's been primarily composing on the instrument ever since.

In September 2015, Ruth released a demo EP of original songs titled "Closer than Danger" under her former performance moniker (Ruth Beck). The sonically lush EP features Ruth's work on harp, and was recorded and produced at Invisible Studios in Houston, TX with engineer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Erich Avinger and mastered in analog by Grammy-award winning mastering engineer Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles, CA. 

Ruth also recently released Volume 1 of "Falling Down at Onehorse Creek" (2019) as part of a series of new recordings and previously unreleased mixed and mastered compositions.