In 1932, Marco moved to Havana to attend the National Conservatory of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of Spanish composer Pedro San Juan.

He remained there for six years, and in 1938 was named the official pianist of the Havana Philharmonic Orquestra, performing under the direction of Ernesto Lecuona.

Contrary to popular belief he did not write the I Love Lucy theme by himself; it had music by Rizo, Eliot Daniel and Desi Arnaz with lyrics by Harold Adamson.

Throughout his career, he arranged for hundreds of top artists: Carmen Miranda, Danny Kaye, Xavier Cugat, Yma Sumac, and Paquito D’Rivera, among many others.

Some of his most memorable piano and orchestral compositions include “Suite Campesina,” “Ñañigo,” “Danzas Cubanas,” “Jose Marti-Sinfonia Cubana,” “Broadway Concerto,” “Suite of the Americas,” “Suite Española,” and “Visions of New York.” In the early 1980s, he founded the non-profit organization “The Marco Rizo Latin American Music Project” (SAMPI), which aimed to spread appreciation for Latin music and culture to students in universities, colleges, high schools, and public schools.

[3] Among the members of his ensemble who performed with him on a regular basis were noted bassist Victor Venegas, famed drummer Bobby Sanabria, and legendary Havana born conguero and National Endowment of The Arts Jazz Master Candido Camero.