Daniela Ruck works as a lecturer for special assignments at the Würzburg University of Music (HfM), teaching both elementary music education with a focus on voice and instrumental and vocal pedagogy. As a qualified musician specialising in guitar and a qualified music teacher in the subjects of singing, elementary music education and guitar, she brings a wealth of artistic and pedagogical expertise, as well as more than twenty years’ teaching experience as a music school teacher.

From 2022 to 2024, Daniela Ruck was involved in the development of the new Master’s degree programmes in music education, covering Elementary Music Pedagogy (EMP), Inclusive Music Education, Community Music and Vocal Performance Practice. Since the 2024/25 winter term, she has been teaching Vocal Performance there and is responsible for teaching methodology and children’s voice training. Together with Prof. Michael Forster, she directs the EMP Children’s Choir.

Daniela Ruck is particularly committed to supporting people of all ages and backgrounds in their musical development and to further developing innovative pedagogical approaches. As part of a continuing professional development programme in higher education pedagogy run by the Network of Conservatoires – which covered numerous topics including digital teaching, assessment and evaluation, peer consultation and much more , Daniela Ruck obtained the ‘The Art of Teaching 4.0’ certificate between 2023 and 2024. During this programme, she developed an innovative teaching project on relative solmisation in elementary music practice, which she successfully implemented in a one-year seminar.

In recognition of her outstanding commitment to university teaching, the State Ministry of Science and the Arts awarded Daniela Ruck the Bavarian Prize for Good Teaching in 2025:

“Daniela Ruck works as a lecturer with special responsibilities for elementary music education and vocal performance practice. She is distinguished by her outstanding subject expertise, particularly in vocal performance practice, which she continually expands through her own teaching experience and further training. Her teaching is structured and flexible, and is rated very highly by students, as reflected in excellent evaluation results. Ms Ruck is actively involved in the further development of degree programmes and contributes innovative, practice-oriented teaching concepts, for example by leading model classes with primary school children and supervising individual and group voice training. She combines artistic and practical expertise with pedagogical reflection and scientifically grounded teaching methods, fosters a reflective pedagogical approach and supports students in their artistic development. Her commitment to team teaching and projects such as ‘EMP on Tour’ underlines her innovative spirit and ability to collaborate. She also impresses in her supervision of teaching placements through her nuanced and supportive feedback. Overall, Daniela Ruck makes a significant contribution to shaping the profile and quality of the degree programmes through her high level of professional and pedagogical expertise.” (Source: Press release from the State Ministry of Science and the Arts)

Daniela Ruck is actively involved in the Working Group on Elementary Music Education and is a member of the Community Music Network and the Bavarian Association of Musicians (Tonkünstlerverband Bayern e. V.).

With her expertise in elementary music practice, singing in nursery and primary schools, relative solmisation, and instrumental group tuition, she is in high demand as a lecturer in further education and professional development programmes, including the Bavarian Association of Singing and Music Schools ( ), the Bavarian Musicians’ Association (Tonkünstlerverband Bayern e. V.), the Bavarian Regional Association of the German Federation of Plucked-String Musicians (Bund Deutscher Zupfmusiker Landesverband Bayern e. V.), the Bamberg Singers’ Circle (Sängerkreis Bamberg), and others.

She has also worked as a lecturer at the Chair of Music Education at the Otto Friedrich University in Bamberg, where she ran the project ‘Overcoming Barriers and Forging Connections through Music’ in collaboration with the Don Bosco Youth Organisation in Bamberg.

Daniela Ruck is an author for various specialist publishers. Her publications include, amongst others, contributions to Schott (Musik, Spiel und Tanz) and Helbling (Alle Lieder sind schon da & PaMina); see Publications.

She is a member of the ensemble Fado Sul and, with her expressive voice, lends the Portuguese fado – which she ‘interprets in a groundbreaking way’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung) – a special authenticity and emotional depth. ‘She sends out poignantly beautiful notes with a wonderfully clear and warm voice’ (Main Post).

From 2002 to 2012, Daniela Ruck studied guitar (Prof. Jürgen Ruck), singing (Prof. Martin Hummel) and elementary music education (Prof. Barbara Metzger) at the Würzburg University of Music and at the Conservatorio Superior de Música – Manuel Castillo in Seville (Antonio Duro and Juan Sancho). She also gained significant artistic inspiration from lessons with Gordana Crnkovic (Free Breath – Free Tone) and Oscar Ghiglia (guitar). She completed her studies with an artistic-pedagogical diploma in Elementary Music Education, Singing and Guitar, as well as an artistic diploma in Guitar. Following postgraduate artistic studies, she was awarded the concert diploma in guitar at the Würzburg University of Music in 2012 in recognition of her outstanding artistic achievements.

Daniela Ruck is responsible for the following subjects:

Elementary Music Education
– Elementary Music Practice in Primary Schools with a Focus on the Voice
– Breathing, Body, Voice

Instrumental Pedagogy
- Seminar on the Orientation Placement
- Seminar on the Fundamentals of Group Teaching

Vocal Music Practice
- Didactics of Vocal Music Practice
- Children’s Voice Training
- EMP Children’s Choir