Born in Hollywood, California, of English and Honduran parentage, Richard Lopez spent his early years traveling between England, Central America and the United States.  He has appeared as a soloist and with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Bexley and Westerville Community Orchestras, and as a guest artist with the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. Lopez has performed in Mexico under the auspices of the United States Information Service, and presents frequent solo recitals of traditional classical repertoire in addition to his schedule of jazz performances.  He has worked with Lili Kraus, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Edith Oppens, Richard Tetley-Kardos and Earl Wild and Sergei Polusmiak.  

Currently a faculty member at Denison University and Otterbein College, Lopez has also taught at the University of Akron, The Ohio State University and at Capital University.  Lopez recently spent a year living and performing in Los Angeles, where he appeared in jazz venues at several clubs in Los Angeles. He has produced two CD's "The Richard Lopez Trio: Live at Rigsby's," "Too Far North," a jazz quartet, which performs Lopez's original compositions in clubs and jazz festivals. He has performed with Jazz greats Ernie Watts, Eddie Daniels, Walt Weiskopf, Percy Heath and Gene Bertoncini and is currently quite active on the jazz scene in central Ohio.  

Lopez has composed soundtracks for a variety of commercial, educational, corporate and children's video projects. His original composition, "Blues and Variations" for piano, was commissioned for Capital University's "Grand Piano Series," where it received its premiere.