Pianist Richard Cionco, praised by Donal Henahan of the New York Times for his "sensitive pianism", first performed as soloist with orchestra at age nine, and has since performed with many orchestras including the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, the Oakland Civic Symphony, and with the Seijo Symphony of Tokyo. In Europe, he has performed concerti with the Czech State Chamber Orchestra and with the North Bohemian Philharmonia as a winner in the Prague Spring International Music Competition. Recently, he performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 seven times on tour in Japan and Taiwan with the California Youth Symphony; the performance in Osaka was broadcast on Japan Television and has been released as a live and unedited CD recording.

Mr. Cionco has also performed in recital and given master classes at the Kolding Kommune Musikskolen in Denmark. He has delighted audiences in major concert halls such as New York's Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, and Steinway Hall, as well as the Chicago Cultural Center and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. He has made recent recordings for Innova Records and Cantilena Records, and has been heard on National Public Radio. While living in New York, he appeared frequently on the well-known WQXR live radio show "...from the listening room."

His performances of Liszt's complete 12 Transcendental Etudes have brought him rave reviews. An International Steinway Artist, Mr. Cionco is a graduate of the University of Maryland and The Juilliard School, studying with Rudolf Firkusny, Thomas Schumacher, and Audrey Bart Brown. A recipient of a Solo Recitalists Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a career grant from the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts in New York City, he is also winner of many competitions.

An enthusiastic promoter of new music, he performs annually at the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, with several premieres to his credit. As chamber musician, his many appearances include Lincoln Center's FOCUS! Festival, and two performances at the Mozart Bicentennial Celebration at Lincoln Center. As recitalist, he has been a guest artist of the Washington Chamber Society, and at the American Liszt Society Festival, as well as at numerous universities, including New York University, San Francisco State University, and Memphis State University.

Mr. Cionco was a Teaching Fellow and Assistant to David Dubal at The Juilliard School for four years, and he joined the piano faculty at California State University, Sacramento in 1993. He also teaches and performs at the Schlern International Music Festival in northern Italy each summer. Recently, Mr. Cionco was awarded the Outstanding University Service Award for 2007 at Sacramento State, and was featured in the University Bulletin. In June of 2008, Professor Cionco was honored in Washington, D.C. with the "2008 Teacher Recognition Award" from the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. In 2009, Mr. Cionco judged the 61st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival where 2,000 pianists performed for him in three weeks.

Mr. Cionco can be heard on the following albums: