Dr. Ronald Rodriguez, assistant professor of piano at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, is an internationally acclaimed classical and jazz pianist. A native of Cartagena, Colombia, he began playing piano at age 8 and by 11 was performing with local jazz groups, including the Cartagena Caribe Big Band.

Rodriguez has become a top-choice professional in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge music scenes, known for his ability to adapt to a wide range of musical styles. He has performed at major festivals including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Music Festival in 2022 and 2025 alongside Alexey Marti. His collaborations include performances with Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra as well as the Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet. As a classical musician, he has appeared with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and served as a collaborative pianist for instrumentalists and choirs. His most recent projects include recording two albums in New Orleans, Mosaico Quinteto and Desde La Raiz, featuring original works and arrangements.

In addition to performing, Rodriguez has extensive teaching experience. He served as a teaching assistant at Louisiana State University, where he taught group piano classes and jazz applied lessons, and has taught at Grace Notes School of Music in Baton Rouge and the Northwestern State University Music Academy in Natchitoches, Louisiana. As a Christian musician, he has participated in worship settings across Catholic, Methodist and African American Baptist churches.

He is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and a past member of the Louisiana Music Teachers Association.

Learn more about Dr. Rondriguez: https://www.ronaldrodriguezmusic.com/

 Degrees and Education

• DMA, Music Performance, Louisiana State University, 2025
• MM, Jazz Studies, Louisiana State University, 2020
• BM, Piano Performance, Northwestern State University, 2018