Dr. Ronald Rodriguez is an internationally acclaimed classical and jazz pianist, recently appointed as Assistant Professor of Piano at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He started playing the piano at the age of nine and has been teaching piano to students of all ages for over ten years. He is an accomplished jazz performer, gaining extensive experience in the challenging New Orleans scene and at renowned music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Music Festival in 2022 and 2025, alongside Alexey Marti. He has also performed with the Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet, Uptown Jazz Orchestra, and Randy Brecker, among others. As a classical musician, he has performed with various ensembles, including the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Baton Rouge Symphony. He has served as a collaborative pianist for other instrumentalists and choirs.

Besides his performance commitments, Dr. Rodriguez is an active educator, clinician, and adjudicator, presenting at the MTNA Collegiate Symposium and featured in the November 2025 issue of the Music Teachers National Association E-Journal, with appearances throughout the United States and internationally in Spain, Cuba, and Colombia.

His most recent original projects include the recording of two albums, Mosaico Quinteto and Desde La Raíz, in New Orleans, including original compositions and arrangements. He balances his musical endeavors with worship services, having served as pianist/keyboardist at Liberty in Christian Church and Christ the King Catholic Church in Baton Rouge for about five years. He is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and has been recently appointed as the Historian & Publicity board member for the Alabama Music Teachers Association.

He is the artistic director of Larry's Group, a commercial music band that centers on a vibrant fusion that blends the catchy melodies of American pop hits with the infectious energy of Latin rhythms. It incorporates the improvisational and soulful elements of jazz, along with the groovy, syncopated beats of funk, creating a sound that's both familiar and excitingly fresh.

 

Ronald completed his bachelor’s degree in music performance at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He earned his master’s degree in jazz studies and doctorate in piano performance and piano pedagogy at Louisiana State University.