Urszula Rucka is an avid performer and educator in the DFW area. Coming to the U.S. from Poland in 2012, she made Texas her new home. Ms. Urszula holds a diploma from Frederic Chopin State Music School, where she studied with Prof. Joanna Maklakiewicz, Master of Music

degree from UNT, and Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University. She has performed in the Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio of Polish Radio, the Philharmonic Halls in Szczecin and Bydgoszcz (Poland), and the Concert Studio of Czech Radio in Ostrava (Czech Republic). In her graduate studies, she had the pleasure of working with Paul Patterson on a performance of one of his works, Spider’s Web for Harp and String Quartet. During her time as a member and assistant director of the UNT HarpBeats, the ensemble was featured in a recital at the 13 th World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, China as well as the 2018 Lyon and Healy Summer Concert Series in Chicago, IL. She is an adjunct faculty at the Texas Woman's University. As a freelance musician, Urszula performs extensively as a soloist and in symphony orchestras. She enjoys collaboration with others in a chamber setting, working on standard

repertoire as well as new works.

Ms. Urszula strives to equip her students with tools and skills to be a successful musician and performer by creating an exploration-based learning environment. She knows that pursuing the curiosity of the students is the best way to keep them engaged and focused. A well maintained balance between difficulty level and students’ abilities provides an exhilarating and fulfilling learning atmosphere. Her experience in music theory, which translates into a strong foundation

of theoretical knowledge of her students, results in effective decision-making and informed performance. Ms. Urszula enjoys working with beginners, introducing them to inquisitive explorations of the musical world, as well as advanced students, traversing the interpretations

and possibilities of the vast repertoire. In her pedagogical practice, Ms. Urszula expresses her passion, optimism, patience, and thoughtfulness. Through this approach, students build the confidence and creativity to maintain the motivation and engagement in learning.

Ms. Urszula is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of North Texas under the tutelage of Dr. Jaymee Haefner and a teaching fellow for the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology. In her research, Urszula explores the development of the harp scene in North

Texas with a focus on the history of the UNT harp department. As a board member of the American Harp Society in Dallas, she dedicates her time to supporting the local harp community.