Music Department Faculty

Dr. Riccardo Selva

As a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, conductor, and composer/arranger, Dr. Selva has served in numerous roles in both jazz and classical music. He has performed as a featured saxophone soloist at Detroit’s renowned Orchestra Hall and in engagements throughout the United States and Europe. He has been involved with the Milwaukee Symphony on saxophones and flute and has worked with chamber ensembles in the Chicago area. As music director of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, he provided both liturgical and artistic musical direction for the oldest continuing Italian-American Community in the city. As a composer, Dr. Selva has been commissioned to write original music by World Library Publications as well as professional ensembles in Chicago. He has worked in music publishing, recording, and broadcasting and has been featured on regional and national television and radio broadcasts as well as in national publications highlighting his music and work.

Throughout his career, Dr. Selva has collaborated with artists and music directors from the Most Serene Republic of San Marino – the oldest republic in the world. It is the country of his parents’ heritage of which he shares dual citizenship with the United States. He has performed, written, and arranged music in celebration of this musical background and has performed with the San Marino Military Band as well as jazz ensembles in San Marino and Italy.

Dr. Selva was appointed as Director of Jazz Studies in 2009 at Schoolcraft College where he developed a dynamic Guest Artist Series. Many international-level, Grammy-Award winning artists collaborated with the Schoolcraft College jazz musicians including Darmon Meader, Wayne Bergeron, Kirk Whalum, Christian McBride, Michael Weiss, and Roger Ingram. Part of the series was a tribute featuring the music of jazz legend Dave Brubeck – one of Dr. Selva’s dissertation interviewees and friend.

Dr. Selva’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Music Performance and Music Education degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and three graduate music degrees including a doctorate from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in Evanston, Illinois. At Northwestern, his major advisor was Dr. Frederick L. Hemke renowned saxophone virtuoso, pedagogue, and scholar. Dr. Selva has been involved in supporting music and music education through his participation in school, church, college, community, and professional organizations throughout the mid-west.