Rich Ridenour has built a formidable career performing concerts of great piano favorites ranging from classical masterworks to American ragtime, jazz and rock and roll. Recent symphony engagements include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Tucson, Evansville, Jacksonville, Cleveland Pops, New Mexico, San Antonio, Greensboro, Kalamazoo. Rich serves as pops conductor for the Elgin, IL and Dearborn, MI Symphonies each season.
Rich has instructed piano at Aquinas College, Grand Valley State University, Calvin College and Western Michigan University. Because of his interest in music outreach and the development of musically aspiring youth, Rich co-founded the Grand Rapids Musicians' League and created the popular Keller Cooler Music Series, held at the Forest Hills Arts Center in Grand Rapids, MI. Also, Rich spent two years developing educational programs as Education Director for the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo. Rich currently mentors young music students in Jacksonville, FL Public Schools.
A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rich received a Bachelor's degree in music from the University of Michigan and a Master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music. His teachers include Louis Nagel, Josef Raieff, William Bolcom, Eugene Bossart, Ruth Hemmes and all the wonderful people joining him around the piano bar in his youth.
“Ridenour was amazingly versatile …. from Gershwin’s Tin Pan Alley rhythmic style … highly affecting in Rachmaninoff … Clair de lune was sensitively played.” Mike Greenberg - San Antonio Express