Dr. Carla Salas-Ruiz

Pianist · Educator · Researcher · Advocate

Praised for her versatility as a teacher, researcher, pianist, and advocate, Carla Salas-Ruiz has cultivated a career that bridges performance, pedagogy, and scholarship. A native of Costa Rica, she has presented her work at national and international conferences, adjudicated at festivals and competitions, and performed as both soloist and collaborative pianist across the United States and Latin America.​

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Carla earned her Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from Louisiana State University, where her dissertation, A Multiple Case Study of Adolescent Piano Students: Examining Motivation through the Lens of Interest Development, reflected her focus on motivation, interest development, and effective practice strategies. She also holds a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from LSU, as well as two Licentiates in Music from the Universidad de Costa Rica, in Piano Pedagogy and Piano Performance.

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Her teaching career includes faculty appointments at Brazosport College, and the Universidad de Costa Rica, where she served as Assistant Professor of Piano and Music Precollege Program Coordinator. In these roles, she created new performance opportunities, spearheaded curriculum development, and promoted interdisciplinary collaborations between music and the social sciences. Currently, she serves as Associate Director and Faculty at The New School for Music Study in Kingston, New Jersey, where she also mentors post-graduate students and teachers.

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An active scholar, Carla has published in leading journals such as International Journal of Music Education, Visions of Research in Music Education, Piano Magazine, and Research Perspectives in Music Education. 

Carla previously worked as Manager of Communications and Periodicals at the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy and is currently a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Piano Research. Her professional affiliations also include her designation as a Steinway & Sons Educational Partner Teacher. She regularly presents at conferences, leads workshops, and adjudicates piano festivals and competitions, contributing to the advancement of piano pedagogy and performance.