With a repertoire of over 400 pieces spanning classical, jazz, pop, rock, bossa nova, Broadway, show tunes, and world music, I bring versatility and sophistication to every performance. From the timeless elegance of Chopin to the vibrant energy of Elton John, the sultry grooves of Antonio Carlos Jobim, and the heartfelt melodies of Broadway classics, my music creates the perfect ambiance for your vision.
With over a year of enchanting audiences at an upscale members-only social club in Orange County, I specialize in crafting bespoke performances tailored to your event—whether it’s a wedding, corporate gala, cocktail hour, private party, or intimate lounge setting.
7 reviews
Mike K.
June 2, 2026Very gifted player and also very professional. We will hire him again for additional piano playing events.... You won't go wrong booking Richard. He is also friendly and kind.
Hired as: Pianist
Mark J.
January 23, 2026Richard played at a small dinner party that I hosted over the christmas holidays. His communications and preparation were excellent. He played a great selection of music and also played a few requests. His skill and style make for good entertainment
Hired as: Pianist
Adam S.
August 5, 2025Richard was everything we expected and more. We hired Richard for a memorial service and we asked that he play soft background music and he provided just what we wanted. He was very communicative, friendly and punctual.
Hired as: Pianist
Nate H.
June 19, 2025Richard was punctual, versatile, professional. Excellent piano player. Beautiful and appropriate selections for our service’s prelude and postlude. Fine accompaniment to all three hymns from our hymnal. We are definitely adding him to our go-to list next time we need a substitute.
Hired as: Pianist
Kat E.
April 24, 2025We have Richard play for many events at our establishment, from formal dining events to family brunches, and he always knocks it out of the park!
Hired as: Pianist
Price range: Contact for rates
Languages: English, Russian
Gig length: 60 - 300 minutes
For your event, I can provide:
Jazz, Swing, and Bossa Nova: Sultry, upbeat, or laid-back vibes to set a sophisticated or lively mood, ideal for cocktail hours or dinner parties.
Show Tunes: Beloved Broadway hits to energize theater enthusiasts or add a touch of glamour.
Demographic-Specific Sets:
Traditional American Audience: Timeless classics like standards from the Great American Songbook, ensuring nostalgia and sing-along moments.
International Guests: World music selections from France (chanson), Italy (canzone), Greece (rebetiko), and Eastern Europe (folk melodies), creating an authentic and inclusive atmosphere.
Younger Crowd: Hits from the 90s to early 2000s, from pop ballads to upbeat anthems, keeping the energy fresh and relatable.
Adaptive Performance: I’ll adjust my playlist and style in real-time based on the age, energy, and preferences of your guests, ensuring a seamless fit for the event’s vibe.
Whether it’s a corporate gathering, wedding, or intimate soirée, my goal is to create memorable moments through music that resonates with your audience. I’m happy to collaborate on song requests or themes to align with your vision.
Richard Kazandzhidi is a distinguished classical pianist, composer, and electronic music producer with a rich educational background from The Manhattan School of Music in New York City and The Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, Richard currently holds a prestigious weekly residency at The Park Club in Newport Beach and boasting affiliations with international record labels in Germany and Brazil, His Electronic music project AR KAY has garnered over 1 million streams. His piano project under the name Lunes Leif is regularly featured on playlists around the world. Richard is a highly sought-after musician and educator, dedicated to excellence and artistic innovation. With grand performances from Carnegie Hall (NYC) to intimate recitals in Switzerland, Richard is a well-traveled and seasoned performer.
To deliver the best possible performance, I require a live acoustic piano at the venue, preferably a well-maintained grand or upright piano, as the quality of the instrument significantly enhances the audience’s experience. A tuned, high-quality piano ensures rich, dynamic sound that elevates the ambiance, especially for larger gatherings. If a live piano is unavailable or the event is a more intimate or smaller gathering, I can provide my own professional-grade keyboard and studio monitors, which are well-suited for cozy settings and deliver excellent sound clarity. Please confirm the availability of a piano or let me know the venue’s setup so we can coordinate the best option.
Sunday
Worship Service
9:00am - 11:30am
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Oceanside, CA
Wednesday
Dinner Party
4:30pm - 6:30pm
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Dana Point, CA
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 3:30pm
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Newport Beach, CA
Sunday
Birthday Party
1:00pm - 2:00pm
•
Newport Coast, CA
Wednesday
Worship Service
7:00pm - 8:30pm
•
Yorba Linda, CA
Jazz, Swing, and Bossa Nova
Time Period: 1920s–1960s (with some modern interpretations)
Beyond the Sea (Charles Trenet, 1943)
Fly Me to the Moon (Bart Howard, 1954; popularized by Frank Sinatra)
Georgia on My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael, 1930; popularized by Ray Charles)
Misty (Erroll Garner, 1954)
My Favorite Things (Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II, 1959; from The Sound of Music)
Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) (Antônio Carlos Jobim, 1960)
The Girl from Ipanema (Antônio Carlos Jobim, 1962)
The Nearness of You (Hoagy Carmichael, 1938)
The Shadow of Your Smile (Johnny Mandel, 1965; from The Sandpiper)
Wave (Antônio Carlos Jobim, 1967)
Look to the Sky (Antônio Carlos Jobim, 1967)
In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington, 1935)
Tea for Two (Vincent Youmans, 1925; from No, No, Nanette)
Days of Wine and Roses (Henry Mancini, 1962)
Show Tunes and Musical Theater
Time Period: 1930s–1980s
Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken & Howard Ashman, 1991; from Beauty and the Beast)
Belle (Alan Menken & Howard Ashman, 1991; from Beauty and the Beast)
I Could Have Danced All Night (Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner, 1956; from My Fair Lady)
Memory (Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1981; from Cats)
Tomorrow (Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin, 1977; from Annie)
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1986; from The Phantom of the Opera)
Pop and Rock (1960s–2000s)
Time Period: 1960s–2000s
1960s–1970s:
Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers, 1971)
Alone Again Naturally (Gilbert O’Sullivan, 1972)
As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld, 1931; popularized by Casablanca, 1942)
Be My Baby (The Ronettes, 1963)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel, 1970)
Can’t Smile Without You (Barry Manilow, 1978)
Close to You (Burt Bacharach & Hal David, 1970; popularized by The Carpenters)
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen, 1984)
How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees, 1977)
I Say a Little Prayer (Burt Bacharach & Hal David, 1967; popularized by Dionne Warwick)
Imagine (John Lennon, 1971)
Jealous Guy (John Lennon, 1971)
Let It Be (The Beatles, 1970)
Love Me Tender (Elvis Presley, 1956)
Moon River (Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, 1961; from Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
My Way (Paul Anka, 1969; popularized by Frank Sinatra)
Strangers in the Night (Bert Kaempfert, 1966; popularized by Frank Sinatra)
Yesterday (The Beatles, 1965)
1980s:
Careless Whisper (George Michael, 1984)
Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey, 1981)
Endless Love (Lionel Richie & Diana Ross, 1981)
Faithfully (Journey, 1983)
Hard to Say I’m Sorry (Chicago, 1982)
Hello (Lionel Richie, 1983)
I Just Called to Say I Love You (Stevie Wonder, 1984)
The Lady in Red (Chris de Burgh, 1986)
Up Where We Belong (Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes, 1982; from An Officer and a Gentleman)
1990s–2000s:
Fix You (Coldplay, 2005)
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (Aerosmith, 1998; from Armageddon)
Iris (Goo Goo Dolls, 1998)
Linger (The Cranberries, 1993)
My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion, 1997; from Titanic)
No Surprises (Radiohead, 1997)
November Rain (Guns N’ Roses, 1991)
Shape of My Heart (Sting, 1993)
Someone Like You (Adele, 2011)
The Scientist (Coldplay, 2002)
Yellow (Coldplay, 2000)
Classical and Romantic (Instrumental)
Time Period: 1600s–1900s
Baroque (1600s–1750):
Bach Arioso from F Minor Concerto (Johann Sebastian Bach, c. 1730)
Bach C Major Prelude (Johann Sebastian Bach, 1722; from The Well-Tempered Clavier)
Bach Prelude from Cello Sonata #1 (Johann Sebastian Bach, c. 1720)
Bach-Siloti Prelude (Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Alexander Siloti, c. 1924)
Bach Andante from Organ Sonata No. 4 (Johann Sebastian Bach, c. 1730)
Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel, c. 1680)
Passacaglia (George Frideric Handel, c. 1706)
Classical (1750–1820):
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven, 1801)
Beethoven Pathetique Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven, 1799)
Fur Elise (Ludwig van Beethoven, c. 1810)
Mozart Lacrimosa (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791; from Requiem)
Serenade (Franz Schubert, 1828)
Ave Maria (Franz Schubert, 1825)
Romantic (1820–1900):
Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Johannes Brahms, 1869)
Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms, 1893)
Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 3 (Frédéric Chopin, 1832)
Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 (Frédéric Chopin, 1831)
Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 (Frédéric Chopin, 1836)
Chopin Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 (Frédéric Chopin, 1841)
Chopin Nocturne Op. 55 No. 1 (Frédéric Chopin, 1844)
Chopin Waltz Op. 64 No. 1 (Frédéric Chopin, 1847)
Chopin Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 (Frédéric Chopin, 1847)
Chopin Waltz Op. 69 No. 1 (Frédéric Chopin, 1835)
Chopin Waltz Op. 69 No. 2 (Frédéric Chopin, 1829)
Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy, 1905)
Debussy Arabesque No. 1 (Claude Debussy, 1890)
Dvořák Slavonic Dance Op. 72 No. 2 (Antonín Dvořák, 1886)
Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni, 1890)
Liszt Consolation No. 3 (Franz Liszt, 1850)
Meditation from Thaïs (Jules Massenet, 1894)
Pomp and Circumstance March (Edward Elgar, 1901)
Salut d’Amour (Edward Elgar, 1888)
Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3 (Franz Schubert, 1827)
The Swan (Camille Saint-Saëns, 1886; from Carnival of the Animals)
Theme from Mahler’s 5th Symphony (Adagietto) (Gustav Mahler, 1902)
Blue Danube Waltz (Johann Strauss II, 1866)
Late Romantic/Impressionist (1890–1920):
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major, 2nd Movement (Maurice Ravel, 1931)
Satie 1st Gymnopédie (Erik Satie, 1888)
Je Te Veux (Erik Satie, 1902)
World Music
Time Period: 1800s–2000s
French:
La Vie en Rose (Édith Piaf, 1945)
Mourir d’Aimer (Charles Aznavour, 1971)
Que c’est Triste Venise (Charles Aznavour, 1964)
La Valse d’Amélie (Yann Tiersen, 2001; from Amélie)
Comptine d’un Autre Été (Yann Tiersen, 2001; from Amélie)
Je t’Aime (Erik Satie, 1902)
Italian:
Una Furtiva Lagrima (Gaetano Donizetti, 1832; from L’Elisir d’Amore)
Time to Say Goodbye (Francesco Sartori, 1995; popularized by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman)
Il Tempo Se Ne Va (Toto Cutugno, 1980)
Come Vorrei (Ricchi e Poveri, 1981)
Greek:
From Souvenirs to Souvenirs (Stelios Vlavianos, 1975; popularized by Demis Roussos)
Eastern European:
Katyusha (Matvei Blanter, 1938; Russian folk)
Million Scarlet Roses (Raimonds Pauls, 1981; popularized by Alla Pugacheva)
Csárdás (Vittorio Monti, 1904)
Latin/Spanish:
Alfonsina y el Mar (Ariel Ramírez, 1969)
Por Una Cabeza (Carlos Gardel, 1935)
Abrazame (Julio Iglesias, 1976)
Romance Anónimo (Traditional Spanish, c. 19th century)
Lady of Spain (Tolchard Evans, 1931)
Film and TV Themes
Time Period: 1930s–2000s
1930s–1950s:
As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld, 1931; from Casablanca)
Some Day My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill, 1937; from Snow White)
When You Wish Upon a Star (Leigh Harline, 1940; from Pinocchio)
Bella Notte (Peggy Lee & Sonny Burke, 1955; from Lady and the Tramp)
1960s–1970s:
Love Theme from Superman “Can You Read My Mind?” (John Williams, 1978)
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head (Burt Bacharach, 1969; from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)
Theme from Mahler’s 5th Symphony (Adagietto) (Gustav Mahler, 1902; used in Death in Venice, 1971)
A Time for Us (Love Theme) (Nino Rota, 1968; from Romeo and Juliet)
Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born) (Barbra Streisand, 1976)
Theme from the Summer of ’42 (Michel Legrand, 1971)
1980s–1990s:
Nadia’s Theme (Barry De Vorzon, 1971; from The Young and the Restless)
Somewhere in Time (John Barry, 1980)
Take My Breath Away (Giorgio Moroder, 1986; from Top Gun)
Theme from Schindler’s List (John Williams, 1993)
For Your Eyes Only (Bill Conti, 1981; from James Bond)
Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To) (Michael Masser, 1975)
2000s:
Now We Are Free (Hans Zimmer, 2000; from Gladiator)
Theme from Howl’s Moving Castle (Joe Hisaishi, 2004)
One Summer’s Day (Theme from Spirited Away) (Joe Hisaishi, 2001)
Theme of Marco and Gina (Joe Hisaishi, 2000; from Porco Rosso)
Mia and Sebastian’s Theme (Justin Hurwitz, 2016; from La La Land)
Traditional and Standards
Time Period: 1920s–1980s
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley, 1961)
Danny Boy (Traditional Irish, arr. Frederic Weatherly, 1913)
Easy (Lionel Richie, 1977; The Commodores)
I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton, 1974; popularized by Whitney Houston)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin, 1936; from Modern Times)
The Windmills of Your Mind (Michel Legrand, 1968; from The Thomas Crown Affair)
Unchained Melody (Alex North, 1955; popularized by The Righteous Brothers)
You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker, 1974)
You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder, 1972)
Contemporary Classical and New Age
Time Period: 1980s–2000s
Nostalgy (Richard Clayderman, 1980s)
Marriage d’Amour (Richard Clayderman, 1987)
River Flows in You (Yiruma, 2001)
Only Time (Enya, 2000)
Comptine d’un Autre Été (Yann Tiersen, 2001; from Amélie)
Miscellaneous
Time Period: Various
Concierto de Aranjuez (Joaquín Rodrigo, 1939; Spanish classical)
Poem (Zdeněk Fibich, 1893; Czech romantic)
Toccata (Paul Mauriat, 1973; French orchestral pop)
Feelings (Morris Albert, 1974; soft pop)
Ebb Tide (Robert Maxwell, 1953; instrumental pop)
Blumenlied (Gustav Lange, c. 1860s; German romantic)
La Prière d’une Vierge (Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska, 1856; Polish romantic)
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Pianist
