Rich DeRosa’s understanding of a variety of musical styles and genres resonates through him and is apparent in his arrangements and compositions for numerous talented artists. His incredible span of work ranges from big band, symphonic and choral ensembles to small group, vocal and chamber music. His passion for the music and his unique creativity breathes through each piece he produces. Throughout his life, DeRosa’s intention has been to bring the highest standard and most memorable musical experience to the artists and their audiences.

Commissions and Collaborations include:

Orchestras and Wind Ensembles

Perseverance CD

Rich DeRosa’s CD Perseverance is a special compilation of his compositions and arrangements that have been recorded on the UNT campus by members of the One O’Clock and Two O’Clock Lab Bands and the UNT Concert Orchestra from 2011-2016. It includes the Grammy-nominated composition “Neil” and Suite for an Anniversary which was composed to celebrate UNT’s 125th anniversary.

Review: Rich DeRosa robust rewarding jazz Rich DeRosa – Perseverance

As conductor and arranger for WDR Big Band (Cologne, Germany)

  • Ron Carter: My Personal Songbook (2015) Compositions by Ron Carter. All arrangements are by Rich DeRosa.
  • Patti Austin, Kurt Elling, Joshua Redman, Stefon Harris, Warren Vache, Bill Mays/Marvin Stamm, The New York Voices
  • Rediscovered Ellington (2017) features DeRosa’s long-time friends Garry Dial and Dick Oatts. Together this dynamic trio of artists has created nine unique and modern arrangements of some rare and unheard tunes from the library of Duke Ellington. 
  • Crossing Borders (2019) is Rich DeRosa’s newest CD release that features pianist Richie Beirach and violinist Gregor Huebner. It includes DeRosa’s arrangements of four Beirach compositions and Huebner’s piano concerto and violin concerto. The project’s title refers to the ambitious adventures through many musical styles from classical to jazz to funk to free. 
Crossing Borders

Arrangements for Wynton Marsalis and Joey Alexander – Jazz at Lincoln Center

  • Wynton Marsalis: Higher Ground: Hurricane Relief Concert (2005) – “Come Sunday”
  • Wynton Marsalis/Willie Nelson: Two Men With the Blues (2007) – “Bright Lights, Big City”, “Night Life”, “Stardust” and “That’s All”
  • Marsalis/Nelson/Norah Jones: Here We Go Again (2011) – “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and “Come Rain or Come Shine”
  • Wynton Marsalis: Big Band Holidays (2015) – “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
  • Willie Nelson/Norah Jones, Toots Thielemans, Annie Ross, Abbey Lincoln, Freddy Cole, Roberta Gambarini/Jimmy Heath, Cassandra Wilson/Mark O’Connor, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Lyle Lovett, Joe Cocker, John Mayer, John Legend, Rene Marie, Patti Lupone, Denyce Graves, Bernadette Peters, Renée Fleming, Audra McDonald

Bernstein at 100 concert w/Wynton Marsalis & Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Conducting Joey Alexander
with Strings

Conductor and arranger/orchestrator for Dial & Oatts (Garry Dial and Dick Oatts)

  • That Music Always Round Me
  • Brassworks

“Rich DeRosa’s invigorating adaptations make for a delightful blend of sounds for the 14-piece ensemble. DeRosa’s toughest chore had been completed long before he struck up the band–namely, committing this blend of trumpets, trombones, and French horns to paper. And what a job he did.”
Bill Kohlhaase, Los Angeles Times

Arrangements for Solo Artists

  • Dominick Farinacci: Lovers, Tales, and Dances (2009) Conductor; orchestrator for winds, harp, and strings featuring arrangements “The Pawnbroker”, “Don’t Explain”, “Love Dance” and “E Lucevan le Stelle”
  • Anne Akiko Meyers: Seasons… Dreams (2010) features DeRosa’s arrangement of “Tenderly/Autumn Leaves” for violin and piano.
  • Shining Night (2022) features an arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Solitude” for violin and guitar. 
  • Fred Fried: When Winter Comes (2003) – conductor; orchestrator for strings; includes DeRosa’s arrangements of “When Winter Comes”, “Patti’s Song”, “Hold Your Breath”, “Pathos”, “Children Can Fly” and “Things That Happen”
  • Arranger and drummer for Susannah McCorkle
    • From Bessie to Brasil (1993) – “Accentuate the Positive”, “Love”
    • From Broadway to Bebop (1994) – “A Friend Like Me” (Theme from Aladdin), “It’s Easy to Remember”, “He (She) Loves Me”, “My Buddy”
    • Easy to Love: The Songs of Cole Porter (1995) – “Let’s Do It”, “You Do Something to Me” and “Night and Day”
    • Let’s Face the Music: The Songs of Irving Berlin (1996) – “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”, “Id Rather Lead a Band”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Heat Wave”, “Cheek to Cheek” and “Let Yourself Go”
    • Someone to Watch over Me: Songs of Gershwin (1998) – “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”
    • From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies (1999) – “Something to Live For”, “Blue Skies”
    • Ballad Essentials (2002) – “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”

More Big Bands

  • Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra: Twenty Years at the Vanguard (1985) – Arrangements of  “Alone Together” and “Dearly Beloved”
    Gerry Mulligan’s Walk on the Water (1980) featuring DeRosa’s arrangement of “Angelica” composed by Mitch Forman.
  • The Glenn Miller Orchestra’s  Up Where We Belong (1984) featuring DeRosa’s arrangements of “Up Where We Belong”, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I’ll Never Love This Way Again”.
  • One O’Clock Lab Band
    • Lab 2011, “Perseverance” (original composition)
    • Lab 2012, “Fugue for Thought” (original composition)
    • Lab 2013, “Take the ‘A’ Train” (arrangement)
    • Lab 2014, “Mixed Emotions” (original composition)
    • Lab 2015, “Neil” (Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition)
    • Lab 2017,  “Roundabout” (original composition)
    • Lab 2018, “Birds of a Feather” (original composition)
    • Lab 2019, “Al-Go-Rhythm: a 21st century take on a Gershwin tune”  (original composition)
    • Lab 2020, “Juris Diction” (in memory of guitarist Vic Juris) (original composition)
    • Lab 2021, “Wisdom” (original composition)

Theater

  • A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair (Off Broadway)
    Steven Sondheim with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra starring Bernadette Peters. Contributing arranger – “Merrily We Roll Along” (overture), “Ladies Who Lunch”, “I Remember”, “With So Little To Be Sure Of”, “Like It Was”, “Losing My Mind”, “Loving You”
    NY Times Review
  • After Midnight (Broadway production) – arranger for “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”
    Frankenstein, the Musical (Off Broadway) – orchestrator
  • ArtsPower National Touring Theatre – Composer and orchestrator for the productions of: Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hans Brinker, My Heart in a Suitcase, Salem Justice, A Little Princess, Lily’s Crossing, Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, Madeline and the Bad Hat, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Jigsaw Jones and the Case of the Class Clown, Fish Face, The Monster Who Ate My Peas, Are You My Mother?, The Rainbow Fish, Harry the Dirty Dog, The Little Engine That Could.

Film: Documentaries

  • The Balancing Act: Security and Liberty Post 9/11 – composer and orchestrator
  • A Girl And A Gun – contributing composer and orchestrator
  • The Last Stand of the U.S.S. Houston – composer and orchestrator
  • The Lazy Man’s Zen – contributing composer and orchestrator
  • Voices of the Land – composer and orchestrator

Film: Independent

  • Gray Matters – orchestrator for “Cheek to Cheek”
  • Standard Time – string orchestrator for “Anything But Love”
  • Falling For Grace – subordinate composer and orchestrator

Television

  • Library cues for As the World Turns, Another World, and Guiding Light
  • Commercials for Kodak and Bristol-Myers

Video (for Random House Publishers)

  • Let’s Draw (composer and orchestrator)
  • Richard Scarry’s Best Sing-Along Mother Goose Video Ever! – composer and orchestrator
  • Dr. Suess’ I Am Not Going To Get Up Today – composer and orchestrator