Rick Dior

Dior has performed as a percussionist with some of the biggest names in the music industry including James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Bobby McFerrin, and Marvin Hamlisch. He has added his drum set talents to performances with many great jazz artists including Marvin Stamm, Bill Watrous, Clark Terry, Red Rodney, Victor Vanacore, and Lionel Hampton and Maria Howell. He has performed with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra since1990. As a first call percussionist, Rick Dior has played with the touring productions of many Broadway shows including Wicked, West Side Story, The Producers, Spamalot, A Chorus Line, Bring It On, Hairspray, Ragtime, Evita,Young Frankenstein and many more.

Rick’s recording credits are extensive and include movie soundtracks, CD releases and commercial radio and television spots. He can be heard on many recordings including CD releases from John Brown, Will Campbell, Jim Brock, Marlene VerPlanck, John Allemeier, Steve Haines, Anne Trenning, Johnny Alexander, Chad Lawson, Clair Ritter, Jack Murray, Jackie Gore, Loonis McGlohon and David Regan as well as his own solo recordings.

As an engineer and producer, Rick has been involved in hundreds of recordings. These include projects with Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Ed Thigpen, Michael Spiro, Joey Calderazzo, Jimmy Cobb, Michael Carvin, Jim Stack and Vince Lewis. He is the creator and owner of Acoustic Barn Studios, a complete production and recording facility.

Since 2001 Rick has served as the Professor of Percussion at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and maintains an active private teaching studio. His private students have gone on to attend many prestigious music institutions such as The Julliard School of Music, The Manhattan School of Music, The Cincinnati Conservatory, The Oberlin School of Music, The Eastman School of Music, North Texas State University and The University of Miami. Many of these former students are active as professional musicians and educators.

 

As a composer Rick has written many compositions and arrangements for all types of ensembles including the Charlotte Symphony and UNCC Percussion ensembles. His compositions are published by Tapspace. As an author he has written several instructional books including “Advanced Coordination for Drum Set and Hand Percussion” which is used in several colleges throughout the United States and by teachers and performers internationally. Rick has performed several clinics for PAS chapters in North and South Carolina and currently holds endorsements with Vic Firth Drumsticks, Mike Balter mallets, and Paiste cymbals.