Don Risi began his career at a Ferrante & Teicher piano concert in 1965 at the age of 15. His career in the performing arts spans more than 30 years, including work in theatre, film, and television.

Risi spent over 14 months on the road with National Company of the Broadway show Annie, as well as touring as technical director with the Nikolais Dance Theatre. He has worked on many Broadway shows including 1776, Les Miserables, and Will Rogers Follies.

He has worked on the feature films Rainman and Twister, the made-for-television film Surviving, the television show Hee Haw and the CBS special Kathie Lee -- Just in Time for Christmas. He has worked on musical events ranging from Michael Jackson, The Moody Blues and Van Halen, to Pavarotti and Perlman.

Risi has been a member of the arts management faculty at OCU since 1993, and has served as production manager for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra since 1990. He teaches Touring Performing Arts, Technical Theater for Arts Managers and co-teaches Dance Company Management.