On March 7, 2003, Rick played the American Premiere of Steve Margoshes’ Ballade for Trumpet and Orchestra with the Ridgewood Symphony. In November, 2004, he played the World Premiere of Jake Lentz’s Suite for America with the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. He returned to Chicago in 2009 to play Janacek’s Sinfonietta with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and then travelled with them to New York for a performance in Carnegie Hall.

Rick was Lead Trumpet on a dozen Broadway shows, including the long-running hit, MISS SAIGON and has over 20 years experience playing Lead Trumpet on Broadway shows. He graduated from Ithaca College and earned a Masters Degree in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University. Following school, Rick auditioned and was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a position that included a scholarship to study with the great Adolph Herseth of the Chicago Symphony. This was followed by a Fellowship to study for two summers at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center.

His early career included performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He also played on several recordings with the Chicago Symphony. While in Chicago, Rick was also on the faculties of The American Conservatory of Music, Elmhurst College and the Preparatory Department at Northwestern University.

Called one day to fill in for an ailing lead trumpeter (in Chicago), Rick went to the theater to play for Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN, starring Dick Van Dyke. For that production, Conductor Milton Rosenstock had written a brilliant trumpet cadenza (based on the MINUET IN G) to end the show. Conductor Rosenstock was so impressed with Rick’s rendition of the trumpet solo, that he insisted Rick come to New York and open the show on Broadway the following week.

Since MISS SAIGON, Rick has performed the on-stage 'Harry James' solo in FOSSE and substituted as Lead Trumpet on THE PRODUCERS, CABARET, THE MUSIC MAN, FOLLIES, THOU SHALT NOT, 42nd STREET, and the RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ORCHESTRA. Rick continues to give solo demonstrations and clinics all around the country.

Rick has performed with the New York Pops, American Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Little Orchestra Society (Soloist), Liza Minnelli (Lead Trumpet), Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Revue (Lead Trumpet), Michael Amante “America’s Tenor” (Lead Trumpet), Charli Persip’s SUPERSOUND (Lead Trumpet), Shirley Bassey, and Frank Sinatra.

Conductors with whom Rick has worked include Leonard Bernstein, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Andre Previn, Pierre Boulez, Rafael Kubelik, Lukas Foss and Skitch Henderson.