Ruka Shironishi’s research focuses on the modal harmony that emerged from the plainchant revival in nineteenth-century France, a subject she has presented on at national and regional conferences, including the Society for Music Theory (SMT) and the Music Theory Society of New York State (MTSNYS). She also serves on the board of MTSNYS and on the editorial board of Intégral: The Journal of Applied Musical Thought.

Alongside her work on French music, Ruka is actively engaged in the performance and study of Balinese gamelan. She has led a study-abroad course on gamelan in Bali and performs with Gamelan Yowana Sari, a New York–based ensemble that appears regularly in the United States and Bali.

Before joining the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ruka has taught as an adjunct assistant professor at the Mannes School of Music (The New School University) and Queens College (City University of New York). She holds a Ph.D. in music theory from the CUNY Graduate Center and a B.M. in piano performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.