Brandon Ruef is a middle school orchestra teacher for Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, North Dakota.  He teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Ben Franklin Middle School.  He directs the 6th and 7th grade orchestras along with Crystal Strings, a 7th and 8th grade chamber orchestra.  During his time in Fargo, Brandon has been a leader in creating a district-wide orchestra festival for 6th grade students along with Fargo’s own version of Cellopalooza.  In addition to teaching during the day, Brandon has a private cello studio.  He has been teaching in Fargo since 2012.  Outside of teaching, Brandon has continued to perform with local ensembles.  He also performs in the pit orchestra for summer musical productions with Gooseberry Park Players, a fee free non-profit theatre company for students ages 11-18.  Recent shows have included Big Fish, The Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast.  

 

Brandon received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire in 2011.  He studied under the direction of Tulio Rondón and Nobuyoshi Yasuda.  Brandon is currently working on earning his Masters degree in Music Education through the University of North Carolina Greensboro.  He plans to graduate in August of 2020.