Pianist Rich Ridenour has built a formidable career performing concerts of great piano favorites ranging from classical masterworks to American ragtime, jazz and rock & roll. Recent orchestral engagements include cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Tucson, Evansville, the Florida Orchestra, Midland-Odessa, as well as the Bravissimo Festival of Guatemala City. Each season Rich serves as pops conductor for the Elgin (Ill.) and Dearborn (Mich.) symphony orchestras.

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.

Also, Rich spent two years developing educational programs as Education Director for the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo.

Since 2008, Jacksonville has been home for Rich and his wife Stacy, who serves as executive director of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 Rich performed 52 concerts across the country with his son, Brandon, who resides in New York and is the youngest trumpet member of the Canadian Brass.  Younger brother Ross graduated from Western Michigan University in Aviation Sciences and is currently employed by American Airlines. When not touring, Rich mentors young music students in Jacksonville-area public schools that are without musical instrument instruction.

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, Ruth Hemmes and all the wonderful people joining him around the piano bar in his youth. Rich Ridenour is an international Steinway Artist.