Classical Ensembles Earn International Gold
Less than 24 hours after a demanding, and flawless, performance at Jordan Hall as part of Rivers’ Carnival of Music and Poetry, members of the Upper School Chamber Orchestra and Conservatory Program Chamber Ensembles boarded a bus for Niagara Falls, Ontario, to participate in the 2017 MusicFest Canada. They returned to Rivers on Wednesday with three Gold Medals from the competition that drew more than 15,000 high school students from across Canada and the United States.
“In the fall of 2016, the Orchestra and Chamber Ensembles were invited to compete in the MusicFest, and fortunately Niagara Falls was a destination we could reach,” said David Tierney, Director of The Rivers School Conservatory and Chair of the Performing Arts Department. “This is a very prestigious annual international music festival for high school ensembles.”
On Monday, May 15, following classes, the chamber orchestra boarded a bus for the eight and a half hour trip, finally arriving in Niagara Falls at 12:30 in the morning. On Tuesday, the Upper School Chamber Orchestra performed a program that included excerpts from “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saens (which they had just performed in its entirety at Jordan Hall on Sunday), “Hungarian Dance” by Johannes Brahms, and “Ode to Alice” by Sky MacKlay (commissioned for the orchestra in 2016).
Immediately following this performance, a piano trio with Ashley Burgarella ’18 on violin, Daniel Weitz ’20 on cello, and Estelle Luong ’19 on piano performed a program that included their composition. On Wednesday morning, a second trio with Yasmin Myers ’20 on violin, Simonida Spasojevic ’19 on flute, and Emilia DeJesus ’19 on piano played for the judges. All three ensembles were awarded gold medals for their performances. In addition to the gold medals, Graydon Hewitt ’17, Simonida Spasojevic, and Ashley Burgarella were awarded medals of honor for their work.
Upper School Orchestra members include: Violin I: Ashley Burgarella ’18, Yasmin Myers ’20, Abigail Warwick ’19; Violin II: Samuel Adams ’20, Graydon Hewitt ’17, Julia Homa ’18; Viola: Sarah Lamour ’17, MacKenzie Larkin ’18; Cello: Andrew Sledeski ’20, Daniel Weitz ’20; Double Bass: Lindy Billhardt ’19; Flute: Sarah Bargamian ’18, Elizabeth Donovan ’20, Khloe Katende ’18, Simonida Spasojevic ’19; Oboe: Soobin Lee ’20, Daniel Weitz ’20; Clarinet: Alexander Clay ’18, Emily Shen ’18; Guitar: Robert Wang ’19; French Horn: Daniel Shaud.
“The judges, renowned educators and performers from conservatories and ensembles across North America, were extremely impressed with the school’s commitment to classical music, the high level of performance from each student, and the extraordinarily professional caliber of the ensembles’ performance,” commented Tierney.
Sunday’s Carnival of Music and Poetry showcased the depth and breadth of musical talent in the Rivers community. From the adult members of the Rivers Symphony Orchestra to the extraordinarily accomplished middle school musicians Andrew Kim on cello and Katherine Liu on piano, every musician performed with grace and assurance.
Performing solos with the RSO were Kim, age 11 and a Conservatory student, who performed the Cello Concerto in D Minor by Lalo, mezzo soprano Thabi Khumalo ’17 who gave soaring renditions of “Dido's Lament” by Purcell and “Voi che sapete” by Mozart, and Liu, age 12 and a Rivers 6th grader, who performed Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No.2 in G Minor.
Following intermission, Head of School Ned Parsons narrated a lively, witty performance of Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals” by Rivers’ Upper School Chamber Orchestra. The Upper School Men’s and Women’s Choruses delivered a beautiful and moving performance of “Esto Les Digo” by Lange.
The grand finale of the concert brought together the RSO and Rivers’ Middle and Upper School Choruses for the world premiere of Francine Trester’s “Walkers with the Dawn.” Joined by baritone Robert Honeysucker and narrator Lois Shapiro, the orchestra and choruses conveyed both the despair and the optimism of Langston Hughes’ poetry, which provided the inspiration and lyrics for this challenging piece.
“The Upper and Middle School choruses brought their performance skills to a much higher level for this concert,” commented Tierney. “The demands of singing in a large hall with a full orchestra would daunt most choirs but the Rivers students met the challenge with great energy and artistry.”
© 2021 The Rivers School. All Rights Reserved
Rivers admits academically qualified students and does not discriminate against students or families on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic or national origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.