Rick Mooney creció en una familia de músicos donde comenzó a estudiar piano a los cinco años y violonchelo a los ocho. Sus principales profesores de violonchelo fueron Victor Sazer y Eleanore Schoenfeld. Se formó en el Método Suzuki con Phyllis Glass en la USC y viajó a Japón en la primavera de 1976. Como especialista en el Método Suzuki, Rick Mooney ha sido profesor invitado en muchos institutos y ha impartido talleres por todos los Estados Unidos, además de en Canadá, Asia, Inglaterra, Australia y Nueva Zelanda.
Ha participado activamente en la Suzuki Association of the Americas, formando parte de la Junta Directiva, en el Cello Committee y ha escrito para el American Suzuki Journal. También es el fundador y director del National Cello Institute, que patrocina un Curso de Verano, un Taller de Invierno y publica música para conjuntos de violonchelo.
Ha escrito numerosos libros con piezas para la enseñanza del violonchelo, entre los que destacan Position Pieces for Cello, Thumb Positions for Cello, Double Stops for Cello y la serie Ensembles for Cello para los primeros cuatro volúmenes del Método Suzuki.
Rick Mooney grew up in a musical family where he began studying piano at age 5 and cello at age 8. His principle cello teachers were Victor Sazer and Eleanore Schoenfeld. He studied Suzuki teaching methods with Phyllis Glass at USC and traveled to Japan in the spring of 1976. As a specialist in the Suzuki method of teaching, Mr. Mooney has been a guest teacher at many institutes and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, England, Australia and New Zealand.
He has been active with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, serving on the Board of Directors, on the Cello Committee and writing for the American Suzuki Journal. He is also the founder and director of the National Cello Institute which sponsors a Summer Institute, a Winter Workshop and publishes music for cello ensembles.
He has written numerous books of cello teaching pieces, including Position Pieces for Cello, Thumb Positions for Cello, Double Stops for Cello and the Ensembles for Cello series for the first four volumes of the Suzuki Method.
