Rivers Conservatory Students Claim Top Prizes in A. Ramon Rivera Piano Competition
For the last 26 years, The Rivers School Conservatory has held the A. Ramon Rivera Piano Competition to honor the legacy of its former Director and current piano instructor. This spring, for the first time in the competition’s history, both prize winners from the competition’s “inside division” were students who are also students at Rivers.
Conservatory Program students Simonida Spasojevic ’19 and Emilia DeJesus ’19 placed first and second in the competition, earning scholarships for their demonstrated excellence at the piano.
“Succeeding in this competition requires students to adhere to Mr. Rivera’s uncompromisingly high standards for artistry in music and beauty of sound,” said RSC Director David Tierney. “The competition is intended to encourage young pianists to continue their search for excellence.”
The competition has two parts: an “outside division” for musicians who do not study at RSC and an “inside division” for RSC students. Each contestant must prepare a Prelude and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach as well as a second piece of their choice.
The Conservatory Program at The Rivers School combines the performance opportunities and musical instruction of RSC with the rigorous and challenging academic experience of The Rivers School. This integrated music education program allows student musicians to cultivate their musical artistry within a school community that appreciates and values their talent and accomplishments.
“It’s extraordinary just to have one prizewinner in the ‘inside division’ be a student at Rivers,” Tierney said. “But for both to be Rivers students in the Conservatory Program speaks highly of the quality of the Conservatory Program and the piano teaching.”
Click here to watch a video of Emilia performing a Chopin piece at an All-School Meeting earlier this year.
Click here to watch a video of Emilia performing a Chopin piece at an All-School Meeting earlier this year.
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