Richard Ormrod grew up in Cardiff, and began his studies at the age of five. He was educated at All Saints Primary School, Llanedeyrn, and made his first concerto appearance at the age of ten, whilst a pupil of Beate Popperwell, with the South Glamorgan Youth Orchestra. Subsequently, he was a student at Wells Cathedral School, where he studied with Michael Young, and King's College, Cambridge University, where he completed his MA. Following this he spent several years as a Post-Graduate student of the Moscow Conservatory studying with Eliso Virsaladze.

Richard has toured extensively, performing throughout the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Italy, Israel and Morocco. His performances have been broadcast live by the BBC on television and radio. In the United States, he was an artist-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival for five years, performing concerti, presenting recitals, and participating in chamber music performances. By the age of 19, he had won prizes in several major competitions, and in 1993 reached the semi-final of the Leeds International Piano Competition. At the conclusion of the 1998 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where he joined his oft-time duo partner German violinist Latica Honda-Rosenberg (Silver Medalist), his performances earned him a special jury prize.

He began making regular appearances in the United States in late 1996 during a two-week tour with Philharmonia Virtuosi taking him from Los Angeles to Honolulu to Yokohama, Japan. Subsequently, he has made concerto appearances throughout the country. In addition to numerous concerto appearances, he has developed an active chamber music presence in the US through his association with the world-renowned Dorian Wind Quintet with whom he toured from the 1996-97 through 1999-2000 seasons

In Europe, Richard has been active both as soloist and chamber musician. In Britain, he has appeared with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, as well as performing recitals throughout the country. In Salzburg, he is a permanent member of the Hyperion Ensemble, for whom he also recorded his first solo CD.

He has been soloist for two international tours of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and has been re-engaged for a third tour in late 2003. He made his Latin/South American debut in August 1999 at the National Theatre in Panama City. In May 2000 he again appeared on television in the UK in a documentary about past winners of the Texaco Young Musicians Competition of which he was the original First Prize-winner.

In October 2000 his ongoing interest in chamber music lead to recording David Sampson's Dectet (originally commissioned by members of the Chicago Symphony) with the Wihan Quartet and Afflatus Quintet. In December 2000, he appeared as the featured soloist at the New Years Eve Beethoven gala with the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Barbican Centre, conducted by David Parry. In April 2001, he made his debut with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Rudolfinum in Prague. In August 2001, he made his first appearance with the New Hampshire Music Festival in the closing concert of the season.

2000-2001 season recital and concerto appearances in the United States took him to the states of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Texas. European appearances took him throughout Great Britain, Holland, France, Russia, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and elsewhere.

Richard's piano studies were undertaken with Beate Popperwell, Michael Young, Rita Sloan, and Eliso Virsaladze with additional coaching with Gyorgy Kurtag, Evgenny Mogilevsky, Menaham Pressler, Ferenc Rados, Joseph Kalichstein and other noted artists. He currently resides in London and serves on the faculty of Cardiff University and the Welsh College of Music and Drama.