Marco Rizo
| Marco Rizo | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Marco Rizo Ayala November 30, 1920 Santiago de Cuba, Cuba |
| Died | September 8, 1998 (aged 77) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Pianist, Composer, Arranger |
| Years active | 1940–98 |
Marco Rizo Ayala (November 30, 1920 – September 8, 1998) was a Cuban-born pianist, composer, and arranger. He mastered the 19th Century works of composers Manuel Saumell and Ignacio Cervantes. He is best known for his role as pianist, arranger and orchestrator for the American television sitcom I Love Lucy which aired from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957 on CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System.
Throughout his career which combined the techniques of his classical training with Afro-Cuban and jazz rhythms, Rizo recorded nearly 30 albums. He was born in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, Cuba.
Rizo’s father, Sebastian, a flutist with the Santiago Symphony Orchestra, served as his son’s first musical instructor. In 1932, Marco moved to Havana to attend the National Conservatory of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of Spanish composer Pedro San Juan. He remained there for six years, and in 1938 was named the official pianist of the Havana Philharmonic Orquestra, performing under the direction of Ernesto Lecuona. In 1939, he performed duo piano recitals with Ernesto Lecuona. Rizo was considered Cuba's most important concert pianist by the age of 16. Rizo became interested in jazz through his work with his father's Rizo-Ayala Jazz Band.
In 1940, he migrated to the United States, having received a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. There, he studied under Rosina Lhévinne. During World War II, Rizo performed and worked with the 2nd Army Military Band.
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