Ricardo Flores

Associate Professor of Percussion

BM (percussion performance), Corpus Christi State University; MM (percussion performance), University of Akron.

Ricardo Flores is currently principal percussionist with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony and is a member of the Sinfonia da Camera. In addition to performing with a number of orchestras, Professor Flores has also appeared as soloist with the Port Charlotte (FL) Symphony, Ashland University Percussion Ensemble, Kent State University Jazz Ensemble, and the University of Akron Jazz Ensemble. Professor Flores is also an accomplished performer in a variety of jazz and popular music, particularly on drum set and Latin percussion. From 1990-97, he was a member of Battu, the percussion quartet-in-residence at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory.

Professor Flores has been a member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and set player for Carden International Circus and Premier Cruise Line’s Starship, Oceanic. He has performed with many well-known artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Aretha Franklin, Diane Shur, Tony Bennett, Mitzi Gaynor, and Louie Bellson. In the summer of 2000, Professor Flores went to China with the Paragon Brass Quintet, where he performed concerts and presented master classes at the Sichuan and Wuhan conservatories. He also performed at the Second Dalian International Broadcasting Music Festival and the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival. Professor Flores can be heard on several recordings, such as Choices, with the Jack Shantz Jazz Unit (featuring Dan Wall); Electric Blue, with jazz violinist Joe Deninzone, and Fields of my Youth with Chip Stevens and featuring Arturo Sandoval.

In the Percussion Division, students have the opportunity to study with both my colleague, William Moersch, and myself. This not only exposes them to two different teaching styles but also allows them to take advantage of our areas of specialization; hand drums and drum set in my case. I strive to give each student the means by which they can eventually teach themselves. I want them to learn how to think on their own, through honest assessment and specific questioning. I try to nurture each student’s exploration and discovery of their unique musical voice. To this end, I do focus on rudimentary technical skills as needed, and prescribe exercises, études and pieces to expose students to the widest possible musical vocabulary. Because my background is diverse, and in percussion, there are so many different instruments to learn, I encourage all of my students to become familiar with as many different styles of music as possible.