Ruben Mendoza is a musician based in Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Handbell Musicians of America (formerly known as the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR)). He has taught and performed at many AGEHR national and local events. As a solo ringer Ruben has also performed concerts in California and several other states. He currently directs two handbell choirs at Northridge United Methodist Church in Northridge, CA and is a member of L.A. Bronze and Glissando Bells. Ruben owns a 4 octave set of Malmark handbells and 3 octave set of Malmark handchimes. He also recently performed with Timbre and Crown City Ringers.
Ruben Mendoza began ringing handbells in 1978 with the Knights of the Bell Table at St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Los Angeles, CA. His first AGEHR conference was in San Jose, CA in 1982. Highlights with the ‘Knights’ were touring throughout California and performing for Pope John Paul II in 1987 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Ruben’s first solo ringing performance was in 1991 at the AGEHR National conference in Long Beach, CA.
In 1997 Ruben moved the San Francisco Bay Area to join Sonos Handbell Ensemble. He has been a member of Sonos for 8 years. Sonos highlights include, touring all over the United States, three concert tours in Japan, performing on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio program, performing at AGEHR Pinnacle conference in 2000 in Las Vegas, NV and performing at AGEHR 50th Anniversary conference in 2004 in Norfolk, VA. Sonos also participated in performances with San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Girls Chorus, San Jose Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Napa Valley Symphony, Diablo Symphony, Kronos String Quartet and San Jose Taiko.
Other handbell ensembles Ruben was a member of were Campanile in Los Angeles (1992-1994) and Velocity in San Francisco (2000-2002). Also in the SF Bay Area he was a substitute ringer for Canto Bello and Bay Bells. Ruben also directed a handbell choir at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church from 1997 to 2011.
As a handbell soloist Ruben performed showcase concerts at AGEHR Handbell Spectacular in Palm Springs, CA in 2001, at Handbell Exploration Handbell Conference in Scottsdale, AZ in 2003 and at AGEHR National Seminar in Tuscon, AZ in 2009.
Other handbell events Ruben has attended/performed at were Handbell Cruise in the Caribbean in 2002, Week of Handbells sponsored by the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain in Dunblane, Scotland in 2003, and the International Handbell Symposium in Orlando, Florida in 2008.