Riaan studied the organ with Dr. Marinda Snyman-de Beer, Dr. Daleen Kruger and Susan Engelbrecht. He was an active participant in master-classes with, amongst others, Prof. Wim Viljoen (UP), Prof. Albert Troskie (NMMU), Prof. Deon Lamprecht (UFS), and attended master-classes conducted by Dr. Ewald Kooiman (The Netherlands), Prof. Simon Preston, Prof. James Parsons (UK), Rodney Gehrke and Prof. Wolfgang Rübsam (USA).
He received improvisation master-classes by Prof. Henk Temmigh, Prof. Nicol Viljoen and Martin Mans (The Netherlands).
On invitation, he gave recitals at the “Gariep Arts Festival” (Kimberley), Potchefstroom, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
During 1997 he performied in various concert venues and cathedrals in Switzerland , Germany , Austria , France , The Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom
As concert organist Riaan, performs/ed with Bernt Öllerman, Christiaan Herbst, Anton Delen, Jeremy Sabian (trumpet), Isabella Eksteen, Marco Fourie and Linelle Wimbles (voice), Bennie Botha and Renchia Venter (violin), Albert Monteith (cello), Elza Coetzer and Anja Pollard (saxophone), Eddie Davey (organ), various brass quintets, ensembles and choirs.
Riaan also acted as organist for Allen Digital Church Organs for demonstrations in the Cape Provinces and currently acts as concert organist for Content Digital Church Organs for demonstrations and CD recordings.
