Jose Daniel Ruiz is a conductor, composer, arranger, and music director whose primary mission is to bring public awareness and appreciation to the ever growing repertoire of music written for video games. As a panelist, Jose has been invited to share his knowledge of video game music concerts and their educational impact for organizations including Penny Arcade Expo, Magfest, and the UCLA Music Library. Jose began his study of music with the violin and accordion in elementary school. He has studied conducting under UC Santa Barbara music director Maxim Kuzin, Santa Monica College Symphony director Dr. James Martin, and choral music as a former member of the UCLA Chorale and the selective UCLA Chamber Singers, under the direction of the legendary Don Neuen. He is also a former bass balalaika player with the Los Angeles Russian Strings Orchestra directed by Iryna Orlova. He also plays accordion with his polka band Die Sauerkrauts during the Oktoberfest season. He is also the Tech Director at First Baptist Church of Glendale, producing and conducting regular productions that involve talent sourced from the entire Greater Los Angeles area and beyond.
In 2014, he founded the Game Music Ensemble at UCLA, serving as conductor, co-music director, music librarian, and arranger, leading to the group's inaugural performance at UCLA's historic Powell Library Rotunda, and more recently, has led the ensemble to grow to the largest performing arts organization on campus, a full 100+ piece orchestra by the end of its 2015-2016 season concert, to a 200+ piece orchestra and choir for its latest Winter 2020 concert in Schoenberg Hall. He continues to proudly serve as music director and conductor.
He has been serving as one of the Executive Directors of the Virtual Video Game Orchestra since 2020.
In 2014, he founded the Game Music Ensemble at UCLA, serving as conductor, co-music director, music librarian, and arranger, leading to the group's inaugural performance at UCLA's historic Powell Library Rotunda, and more recently, has led the ensemble to grow to the largest performing arts organization on campus, a full 100+ piece orchestra by the end of its 2015-2016 season concert, to a 200+ piece orchestra and choir for its latest Winter 2020 concert in Schoenberg Hall. He continues to proudly serve as music director and conductor.
He has been serving as one of the Executive Directors of the Virtual Video Game Orchestra since 2020.