Richard Arrigo
Conductor

Richard Arrigo is an award-winning music educator, conductor, and performer with over three decades of experience shaping young musicians and enriching Ottawa’s music education landscape. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education (Honours, 1991) and a Bachelor of Education (1992), both from Western University.

In 1993, Richard relocated from Toronto to Ottawa to begin his teaching career at Gloucester High School. He later moved to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, where he taught instrumental music and guitar. Since 2000, he has taught band and strings at Lisgar Collegiate Institute, where he also served as Head of Fine Arts and Business. At all three schools, he built dynamic music programs that consistently earned regional and national acclaim.

Richard’s ensembles have received numerous accolades, including multiple CBC Music in the Schools awards and invitations to MusicFest Canada, the Kiwanis Music Festival, the Ontario Provincial Music Festival, and annual appearances at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (Youth Series). Since 2001, he has also produced and was musical director of a wide range of musical theatre productions, including The Addams Family, Mary Poppins, and Into the Woods, and has led biennial international performance tours, averaging 80  students per trip.

Beyond the classroom, Richard is an active performer and conductor. He is a founding member of the Celebration Brass Quintet and has performed with the Divertimento Orchestra, Vern Isaac Big Band, Bill Jupp Big Band, and the Kanata Symphony Orchestra. He currently serves as Music Director of the Ottawa Community Concert Band and has guest conducted ensembles such as Strings of St. John’s.

Richard’s leadership extends into hockey—both coaching and refereeing—as well as community service and professional mentorship. He was nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2023 and has received other notable honours, including the Queen’s University Baillie Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching(2010) and the James E. Brough Award from the Kiwanis Music Festival (2012).

He gratefully acknowledges his family for their love, unwavering support and encouragement.