Richard M. Blumenthal

The Pianist of Vilera.

Richard M. Blumenthal is a cross-genre collaborative pianist and the pianist for Vilera. Residing near Ohio’s Wayne National Forest, his eclectic career spans academia, taprooms, and national tours. Richard has served as a repetiteur and music director for institutions and events including Middle Tennessee State University, Louisiana State University, Nickel City Opera, and the live rounds of New York's Naumberg Competition. Deeply entrenched in modern saxophone repertoire, he is a sought-after accompanist across the United States for his niches of choice.

Branching far beyond his classical roots, Richard is an active session musician, arranger, and composer in genres ranging from lo-fi to math rock. As a former member of the Boston-based progressive metal band Aviations, he honed his live performance skills touring North America alongside Wheel, Outrun the Sunlight, and Unprocessed. Additionally, he has released four albums of complex original music with drummer James Knoerl under the moniker ‘blumen.’

When not performing all the music he can get his hands on or advocating for the neatness of music theory, Richard enjoys sheltered life in the woods with his wife, Allison, an indeterminate number of one-eyed cats, and their three-legged dog, Clover.