Inspired by her curiosity about people and their behavior, Ritu pursued a double degree in Viola Performance under Peter Slowik and Psychology with a Minor in Economics. At Oberlin, Ritu was a member of the Performance and Improvisation Ensemble under Jay Ashby and Jamey Haddad, percussionist with Paul Simon. She could explore the sound of the world working with musicians Layth Siddiq (Jordanian), Alain Mallet (French), and Chico Pinheiro (Brazilian). As a result, Ritu recognized a deep desire to use music to connect and cultivate empathy. She was a founding member of ‘Strings at Grafton’ at the  Grafton Correctional Institution, uncovering her love for teaching and bringing music to people who did not have access to it. Ritu has taught remotely K-12 students in Mombasa; under The Canales Project at Triple Threat Academy under Carla Canales, Senior Advisor for Cultural Exchange at the National Endowment for the Arts under President Biden’s administration, and in an underserved school district in Central Florida.           

Ritu is pursuing her Masters of Music at New England Conservatory, where she received the Presidential Distinction Award, under  Nicholas Cords, Violist of the Brooklyn Rider Quartet and Co-Director of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. She continues to pursue creating and imagining on Viola while remaining driven by her commitment to community outreach as a Community Performance and Partnerships Fellow performing in homeless shelters, libraries, and underserved schools around Boston.