Jonathan C. Rizzo, B.A.

Jonathan Rizzo has been a pianist, accompanist, and creative musician for 20+ years in the Western New York area, and currently serves on the faculty at the Buffalo State University Music Department as a staff accompanist for vocal and instrumental soloists, choirs, and many other Music Department events and performances.
He holds both a BME in Music Education and MM in Piano Performance from SUNY Fredonia, and has studied piano with Mr. Sean Duggan, Dr. Emily Boyce, and Mr. Steven Bianchi. He also served as a graduate assistant piano accompanist for Dr. I-Fei Chen while at Fredonia. During part-time study at Buffalo State University, he was one of the winners of the school’s 2012-2013 Young Artist Competition, performing the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.20 in D Minor with the Buffalo State Philharmonia. He also studied percussion and euphonium while in undergrad at Fredonia.

Mr. Rizzo holds the position of Music Accompanist at St. James UCC in Hamburg, performing on piano and organ for services.
He has also served as an accompanist for Lancaster Central High School’s Choirs, Advanced Visual & Performing Arts Program, and student soloists, The Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA), The Niagara Regional Theater Guild, American Repertory Theater, The Freudig Singers of WNY, The Buffalo Gay Men’s Choir, Opera-Lytes, and The Ambassadors of the Amherst Male Glee Club (now Red Blazer Men’s Chorus).
Additionally, he has worked as an accompanist for renowned choral composer and educator James DesJardins at various educational festival and scholastic performances.

During his time as a pianist/keyboardist in progressive/hard rock band Blueshift, he opened for internationally known rock musicians Tony Levin (bassist for Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and many others), Carmine and Vinnie Appice (drummers for Black Sabbath, Jeff Beck, Dio, and others), Green Jelly, and Consider The Source, and has performed at various music festivals, including Warped Tour Cincinnati, The Niagara Falls Arts Festival, Hamburg Music Fest, Mazfest, and the Buffalo Infringement Festival.
He currently plays piano and keyboards in duo “R&R” with drummer Erik Reinhardt, performing a mix of jazz fusion, rock, and classical interpretations.