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His
heralded work as performing artist, educator, composer,
author, journalist and producer has established his unique voice in contemporary music. |
Born
in New York City and leader of cutting-edge Jazz and Brazilian
music ensembles for thirty years, his longtime passion and
dedication to Brazilian music was acknowledged by
invitation as guest artist-professor at the prestigious Campos
do Jordão Festival do Inverno (winter music festival) in São
Paulo. There he performed and taught with notable Brazilian Jazz
artists including Roberto Sion, Amilton
Godoy (Zimbo Trio), Nenê and Vinícius Dorin.
Of
all his collaborations, his acoustic Duo with acclaimed
pianist-composer Jovino Santos Neto is
one of today's most important Brazilian Music ensembles, featuring their original works and those of Jovino's mentor, Hermeto Pascoal.
Listen to excerpts from their
Duo CD
"Balaio"
Richard also produced a landmark recording, Tudo de Bom, featuring exclusively music from Hermeto Pascoal's historic collection, Calendário do Som. His three previous recordings as leader on the Jazz Essence label are Amazôna, Embarcadero and Commitment.
Richard
was named Best
Brazilian Jazz Guitarist in the U.S. by GuitarOne
Magazine, one of ten guitarists
chosen in different playing styles. His
articles on Brazilian music in Just
Jazz Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, JazzOne, Jazz Changes
and other major magazines are read worldwide.
He is a veteran artist faculty member at New York City's world-reknown
New School Jazz & Contemporary Music
Program and former jazz faculty at William
Paterson College, Mannes College and New York University. His
numerous guest artist residencies include Harvard,
Univ. Denver, Cornell, Temple, Ithaca College, Cincinnati Conservatory,
Univ. Wyoming, Univ. Toronto, Humber College (Toronto), National Guitar
Workshop and American Institute
of Guitar.
Richard has won numerous composition awards including New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship and ASCAP Popular Composer. In addition to works for his Duo with Jovino Santos Neto, he has fulfilled chamber music commissions for Modern Mandolin Quartet, Atlantic Brass Quintet, Lamont Saxophone Quartet and Iliff Guitar Quartet (Denver), classical guitarist Ricardo Iznaola and composed an extensive body of solo guitar and acapella choral works including his Beatles Motets.
Richard
is founder and artistic director of JazzEthnics,
a non-profit organization presenting community performances and
workshops in his native Queens. He is also an award-winning producer
for Queens Public Television (QPTV).
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