About

Rhonda (Ringering) Rizzo has crafted a career as a pianist, a writer, and an instructor. She has released four CDs, Oregon Impressions: the Original Piano Music of Dave Deason and Made in America, a collection of American music, and 2 to Tango: Dance Music for Piano Duet with pianist Molly Wheeler, and most recently, A Spin on It, (with guitarist Pamela Goldsmith) featuring the music Dave Deason, Jason Heald, Dana Libonati, and Joel Pierson.

She is an active solo and collaborative performer for venues as diverse as Central Oregon Symphony, Oregon Chamber Players, Pacific University Orchestra, Broderick Gallery Series, “Art for Ears” Concert Series (Portland), “Friends of Music” Series (Brookings), Aladdin Theatre, and the Ernest Bloch Music Festival, Bloedel Reserve, Newport Performing Arts Center, and Skamania Performing Arts Series. She has performed a live radio concert on allclassical.org’s Thursdsays@Three concert series.

Her articles have appeared in American Music Teacher, Piano & Keyboard, Flute Talk, Clavier, and Keyboard Companion. Her article, “Keeping the Beat: How to Teach Classical Piano Students to Play with a Jazz Band” won American Music Teacher’s article of the year for 2009. She received her BA from Walla Walla University and her MM from Boston University.

Music

I specialize in American and French music from 1900 to present day

Sample Standard Repertoire: Samuel Barber "Excursions", Aaron Copland "Four Piano Blues," George Gershwin Songs, Three Preludes, "Rhapsody in Blue," Francis Poulenc "Three Novelettes," Morton Gould "Boogie Woodie Etude," Astor Piazzolla Tangos, Alberto Ginastera "Sonata No. 1"

Non-standard repertoire: brand new music by living composers such as Scott Pender, Dave Deason, Joel Pierson, and more

Videos