BIOGRAPHIES

Ryan Ellis is a jazz pianist and director of vocal music at Miami Arts Studio (MAS), a 6th-12th public arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Mr. Ellis received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami and his Masters in Music Education from Florida International University. After 4 years as the Director of Bands at Miami Southridge High School, he was voluntold to take over the storied Southridge choral program for Deborah Mar. Not a singer, and with absolutely no training, Mr. Ellis learned from Mrs. Mar, Barbara Kingman, and other colleagues about choral methods and literature. After Southridge, he spent ten years at John A. Ferguson High School directing jazz band and choir before founding the MAS Vocal magnet at Miami Arts Studio. Currently, he continues to lead the vocal magnet program, as well as an independent public school record label, MAS Records, Inc, which juxtaposes students and industry leading professionals in an effort to provide students with a relevant music education in a rapidly evolving industry. As a professional jazz pianist, Mr. Ellis has worked extensively in the Caribbean, Florida and Hawaii performing pop and jazz with many great musicians, most notably: Eddie Jones, Bobby Dukoff, Paul Brown, Leon Foster Thomas, Bobby Ramirez, and Ira Sullivan. Mr. Ellis received his Master’s Degree in Music Education from Florida International University as part of a fellowship from the Johnny Mercer Foundation.

A native of Holguín, Cuba, Cindy Ellis immigrated to the United States in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Jazz Voice from Florida International University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri. Mrs. Ellis is a full time choral director at Miami Arts Studio, a 6th-12th grade public performing arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Her middle school and high school ensembles have been featured at numerous venues throughout the country. These include Carnegie Hall (2018 and 2024), the Florida, Southern, and later this year, National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. In 2022, Mrs. Ellis’ students performed in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas, a meeting hosted by President Joe Biden that brought together 40 Presidents and leaders from the Americas and Caribbean. Additionally, in the last 7 years, the students have recorded and performed background vocals for Gloria and Emilio Estefan and several music award shows including the AMAs, Latin American Music Awards and the Latin GRAMMY Awards. Earlier this year, Mrs. Ellis conducted her students at the Miami show of Jacob Collier’s DJESSE Volume 4 World Tour. Beyond her school responsibilities, she frequently performs, conducts honor choirs and teaches masterclasses for music directors and students from elementary to college throughout North America. As a jazz vocal soloist and alto with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, she collaborated with Jacob Collier for performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and recording projects including a performance alongside Coldplay for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and a 2024 BBC Proms Music Festival concert in London, UK.

In 2020, Mrs. Ellis was published by GIA Publications as a contributing author on “Teaching with Heart,” and in 2022, she served as instructional design editor and contributing author of “Teaching Beyond the Music,” the second edition in the series. Ellis is Miami Arts Studio’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, a 2025 Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist, and currently serves as the World Musics & Cultures Coordinator for the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region.