Ruut DeMeo

Ruut DeMeo is a multidisciplinary artist and creative leader with over 20 years of experience in the arts and education. Dubbed Baltimore’s “piano girl” in the past two decades, she released nine independent albums and shared stages with renowned artists such as Brett Dennen, Trevor Hall, and Passenger. Her music has appeared in TV and film, including award-winning films Soliloquy and It Happened Here.

Born in Finland, Ruut began composing and performing even before traveling with her missionary mother in Eastern Europe. Though she comes from an artistic lineage—her grandfather, Aulis Sallinen, is Finland’s most celebrated living opera composer—Ruut is largely self-taught and has built a diverse and authentic body of work through collaborations with notable industry figures like Billy Steinberg, Jeff Trott, and Frank Wolf.

Beyond her artistic career, Ruut has been a public school educator, university lecturer, and instructional designer. She holds an MFA from Antioch University and has received several fellowships for her writing and music. Currently, she is the Baltimore chapter president of a national organization celebrating Finnish culture. While Ruut is working on her own novel (which is inspired by Finland’s epic myth, The Kalevala), she also coaches women artists in refining and achieving their creative goals.

Through her nonprofit, Making Her Mark, Ruut commits to supporting women artists who face barriers in getting their work seen or heard. Based in Baltimore but serving women nationally, the organization offers fellowships, workshops, and creative gatherings designed to uplift, inspire, and make space for more women's voices in the arts.