Biography

Ron Palangio was born and raised in North Bay Ontario where he first began studying guitar at the age of twelve. During high school he was an active member of the band music program and began performing in local rock bands. Upon graduating high school in 1977 Ron joined the North Bay Musicians Guild and began performing professionally in Northern Ontario with various groups. In 1978 Ron moved to Hamilton Ontario to study Jazz and Classical guitar at Mohawk College’s Applied Music Program.  After graduating Mohawk in 1981 he performed professionally as a freelance guitarist around the Toronto-Hamilton area. His versatility along with his skills in sight reading and improvisation made him an in demand guitarist around the area performing for professional theatre productions, big bands, dance, pop, rock and country bands.  Ron has played with such artists as the late Bobby Washington, big band leader Harry Waller and singers Al Martino and Clint Holmes. Ron has taught guitar classes at Mohawk College and maintained a busy private guitar teaching schedule throughout the 1980’s.

Ron continued his studies at York University and later McMaster University where he graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music (Summa Cum Laude) in 1986. He was accepted to the University of Toronto Faculty of Education and began his teaching career in 1987 with the Hamilton Wentworth C.D.S.B. where he has taught instrumental and guitar music for the past 18 years. He  is presently Head of Arts and Technology at Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School and is the regional co-ordinator of The Golden Horseshoe Musicfest. Ron continues to perform regularly in Jazz clubs and private engagements in and around the Hamilton area. He and his wife Joanne are the proud parents of three talented children who have a keen interest in music and the arts.