Appraised by JazzTimes as “a gifted jazz guitarist and star in the making,” Andrew DiRuzza is a dedicated performer, composer, arranger and educator. Since his first performance at 14 years old, Andrew has performed on multiple continents with musicians from all around the world. Andrew has shared the stage with many renowned musicians, including Yusef Lateef, John Stowell and Adam Schroeder. Throughout his career, Andrew has performed at many prestigious venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center in Shanghai, Epiphany Center for the Arts, Paramount Theater, Englert Theater and Umass Fine Arts Center. He performed at the Iowa City Jazz Festival in 2013 and 2014. Andrew enjoys sharing music with the community and has performed with his colleagues at numerous bars, restaurants, retirement centers, etc. In addition to performing in small groups, Andrew has also performed in many large ensembles, including Orchestra Iowa, San Jose State University Jazz Orchestra, University of Iowa Jazz Repertory Ensemble and Umass Chapel Jazz Ensemble. 

 

As a composer, Andrew has written music for various settings, including large jazz ensemble, jazz quintet, solo piano and guitar duo. His original album “Shapes and Analogies” has been played on radio stations across the country. Midwest Record appraised him as “a smart leader any time.” Audiophile Review referred to him as “a skilled guitarist, bandleader, composer and improviser.”

 

Andrew has been a committed guitar teacher for over 25 years. His students range from six years old to senior citizens. It is Andrew’s firm belief that it is possible to find joy through music at any age. In addition to teaching privately, he has taught at Augustana College, Blackhawk College, Kirkwood Community College and Greenfield Community College. 

 

Andrew started playing guitar at the age of nine. He attended summer courses at Berklee College of Music in 1995 and 1996. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2004. In 2014, he earned his Master of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Iowa.