Faculty Biography - John Rizzo

John Rizzo

Lecturer

A.B. University of Illinois, Chicago
A.M. University of Illinois, Chicago 

847.635.1950
adesso@acepros.com
Room 2430 Des Plaines

Web page: http://www.italianoperachicago.com/oakton/

This link will take you to an unofficial page or a page outside of Oakton; any opinions expressed in the page are strictly those of the author and have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by Oakton Community College.

Biography

John Rizzo has extensive professional experience in the performing arts, education and business. His first job was as a violinist with the US Air Force Strolling Strings, entertaining Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. He worked as a jobbing musician for many years, playing violin, viola, string bass and bass guitar in a variety of bands. In 2001 he founded the Italian Opera Company of Chicago, and still serves as its Artistic Director.

Mr. Rizzo holds a Masters Degree in Theater from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and since 2001 Mr. Rizzo has been an adjunct faculty member at Oakton Community College, where he has taught credit courses on Music Theater, Western Culture and History.

After a successful career as a salesman for companies including ADT and Reed-Elsevier Publishing, Mr. Rizzo founded American Communications Enterprises, Inc. (ACE) in 1997. A Web site design and hosting company, ACE has numerous clients, including La Preferida Mexican Foods and Dell’Alpe Italian Foods. He was elected Vice President – Membership for the Harwood Heights-Norridge Chamber of Commerce in 2009.

Currently, John Rizzo is also Chief Staff Writer for Amici Journal, a bimonthly Italian American magazine.

In 2008, Mr. Rizzo led an Opera Tour of Florence, Lucca, and Milan, Italy and in 2009, he led a tour to Athens and several Greek Islands.