Steve Rivera
Pianist • Composer • Recording Artist • Author
Steve Rivera is a Southern California pianist, composer, recording artist, and author whose work spans contemporary instrumental music, musical theatre, and literature. His critically acclaimed compositions explore the emotional contrasts of life, allowing listeners to find their own meaning within the music.
Introduced to the piano by his father at an early age, Steve later studied composition and conducting at Hope University, toured with a vocal ensemble, and served as an assistant music director at several churches.
His professional journey has taken some interesting turns. During the 1990s, Steve worked as the second assistant equipment manager for the Los Angeles Kings at the Forum during the Wayne Gretzky era. From 1994 through 2000, he performed regularly as a pianist at Nordstrom stores throughout Southern California. In 1997, he independently produced his first album, The S Collection, which was sold through Nordstrom’s Gift Gallery. Three of his compositions were also featured on the company’s nationwide in-store music system.
From 2000 through 2011, Steve stepped away from regular piano performance and recording to work with his older brother’s IT company. Following his brother’s passing and the birth of his younger daughter, he returned to music.
That return led to Dividing the Darkness (2015) and Beyond Measures & Time (2018), both produced in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning producer Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records, and producer and engineer Tom Eaton at Imaginary Road Studios.
His recordings have received critical acclaim and international radio airplay, including SiriusXM’s Spa channel. His music has also appeared on Will Ackerman’s The Gathering III compilation and in Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight programming. A new album is currently in development.
Beyond his recordings, Steve wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Beloved Veil, an original musical that received its first staged reading in Los Angeles in February 2026. His writing projects also include Donuts for Dinner, an illustrated children’s book, and From Among the Gods, an exploration of ancient traditions, philosophy, and humanity’s search for truth.
Steve is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild of America and serves as Director of Institutional Sales at Kim’s Piano.
Outside of music, Steve enjoys surfing, snowboarding, playing hockey, and traveling. But above all, his greatest joy is being a father to his two amazing daughters. Being a present and involved dad means more to him than any professional accomplishment, and he considers himself incredibly fortunate to share such close and loving relationships with both of them.
Of all the experiences he’s had and the things he’s accomplished, nothing means more to him than being their dad.
Beyond the Music
