Richard Cionco

Pianist Richard Cionco -- praised by Donal Henahan of the New York Times for his “sensitive pianism” has performed as soloist with orchestras, as chamber musican, and as a recitalist on three continents. 

A Steinway Artist, Mr. Cionco is a graduate of the University of Maryland and The Juilliard School.  Important chamber music performances include those at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival in Germany, the Schlern Intenational Music Festival in Italy, and at the Orfeo Music Festival in Italy. 

He has performed in recital in nearly every major U.S. city and his performances of Liszt’s complete 12Transcendental Etudes have brought him rave reviews.  Recently, he performed at New Mexico State University, the University of New Mexico, Kent State University, Florida State University, University of Alberta in Canada, Stetson University, Pensacola State University, the University of Florida, San Jose State University, the Chicago College of Performing Arts, the Great Music in Scarborough Series in New York, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Nevada Reno, Tulane University in New Orleans, in Anchorage, AK, and dozens more.  Other important solo performances include twice at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Cultural Center, and at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Cionco has recorded solo and chamber music by Daniel Kingman for innova records and his first solo CD, Latin American Music for Solo Piano, on the Centaur Records label has received rave reviews, notably by the American Record Guide.  For 15 years he has served on the artist faculty of the Orfeo International Music Festival and Competition in Northern Italy and he has performed solo recitals at the Samsø Piano Festival in Denmark five years in a row.  He has given master classes, lectures, recitals and has served as adjudicator in China and Hong Kong a dozen times and his concerto performances have taken him throughout the U.S. and to Japan, Taiwan, the Czech Repbulic, and Slovakia.  In 2012, he released a solo CD of Beethoven’s late piano music, and a CD of music by American composer, Sunny Knable -- both on the Centaur label.  His Latin American piano music CD, also on Centaur, has garnered much acclaim.

Mr. Cionco was a Teaching Fellow for David Dubal at The Juilliard School for four years and is presently Professor of Piano at California State University, Sacramento where he teaches, performs, and composes.  He also enjoys running competitively and cooking, as well as hiking far and wide.