Ramon Ricker

Ramon Ricker is Professor Emeritus of Saxophone, and retired Senior Associate Dean for Professional Studies at the Eastman School of Music. As a senior administrator at Eastman, Dr. Ricker was instrumental in shaping the School’s innovative Institute for Music Leadership, with its Arts Leadership curriculum that offers courses in entrepreneurship, careers, leadership, performance, contemporary orchestral issues and musician’s injury prevention and rehabilitation. Ray joined the Eastman faculty in 1971 in a part-time position and became full-time in 1973 after receiving a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Eastman. His association with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) began first as a clarinet soloist in 1972, and in 1973 he won a position in the RPO as a member of the clarinet section. He continued to play in the orchestra until 2020 when Covid made it an opportune time for him to retire from live performance. In 2013 he was the first Eastman faculty member to be awarded the Dean’s Medal in recognition of extraordinary leadership, dedication, service, and philanthropy to the Eastman School. Dr. Ricker began his musical studies on the clarinet. At age 16, while continuing to study the clarinet, his interest in jazz led him to begin saxophone lessons. An endorsing artist for Conn Selmer instruments, he has written several best selling books on jazz improvisation and saxophone technique, and contracted and performed on hundreds of television commercials and program themes that have aired on NBC, ABC, Cinemax, HBO, and Arts and Entertainment. His latest book, Lessons From a Street-Wise Professor: What You Won’t Learn at Most Music Schools, was honored as a finalist in the Business: Entrepreneurship and Small Business category of the 2012 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.