Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr. is the Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno State. Giddens moved from Fresno, CA to New York City at the age of 17 after receiving a full scholarship to the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at The New School for Social Research. It was there where he studied with Reggie Workman, Doug Weiss, Joe Chambers, Hal Galper, and Larry Grenadier. In 2000 he put his education on hold to accept national tours with various bands as well as with the Off-Broadway show STOMP. After many years on the road, he decided to again focus on his education, earning his BFA (2007) and MFA (2009) from California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA. It was at CalArts where Giddens studied with and was mentored by the world-renowned bassist and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Charlie Haden.

As a member of Los Angeles based band Burning Ghosts, Giddens has been a headlining act at such international jazz festivals as Jazz em Agosto (Lisbon, Portugal), Saalfelden Jazz Festival (Austria), and the Angel City Jazz Festival (Los Angeles, CA).

Giddens has recorded and performed throughout the world with such artists as Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Sara Gazarek, Robert Glasper, Oscar Hernandez, Mary Halvorson, Ravi Coltrane, Larry Goldings, Walter Smith III, Ralph Alessi, Gilbert Castellanos, Ideal Bread, Taylor Ho Bynum, Ben Wendel, and many others. Giddens is a Tzadik, and Orenda Records recording artist.  You can hear Giddens on Daniel Rosenboom's latest project "The Boom Sessions" featuring Joshua White, and Mark Ferber as well as is his debut album "Mimosas" at the Orenda Records website. https://orendarecords.com/richard-lloyd-giddens-jr/

Giddens is a 2018 California Arts Council grant recipient.