Rivers Chamber Ensembles Perform
Just eight weeks into the fall trimester, Rivers’ classical musicians presented an ambitious and polished program on Tuesday evening, October 25, in Bradley Hall. Then on Sunday, October 30, Rivers pianist Theo Teng ’22 and singer Thabi Khumalo ’17 were among those who performed in the Conservatory’s Young Artists Spotlight concert. Theo recently received First Prize in the Junior Category of the Paderewski International Piano Competition in Farmington, CT.
Next month, the Upper School Jazz Ensembles will present a preview of their work at a community performance on Wednesday morning, November 2. The Middle and Upper School Choruses will perform on Tuesday evening, November 8, and members of Rivers' Conservatory Program's Jazz, Vocal, and Chamber ensembles will showcase their talents on Saturday evening. November 12. Finally, Rivers’ Jazz Ensembles will host the day-long Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 19, along with Conservatory ensembles and featured guests.
Opening Tuesday’s Chamber Ensemble program was a Middle School string trio of Quinn Taylor-Black ’22, Sebastian Connelly ’22, and Julien Burks ’23 playing the medieval English round “Sumer is Icumen In,” followed by a Middle School string quartet of Lily Girard ’22, Annie Heuer ’21, and Jenny Hotchkiss ’21 on violin, and Ethan Zheng ’21 on cello playing “We Gather Together.” Tayja Sallie ’21 on cello and Katherine Liu ’23on piano performed a movement from a Handel sonata, followed by two movements from a Mozart sonata for four hands, featuring first Olivia Xu ’20 and Apsara Balamurugan ’20, then Emilia DeJesus ’19 and Estelle Luong ’19.
After intermission, the Middle School Chamber Ensemble, the Upper School Wind Ensemble, the Upper School Strings, and Upper School Orchestra each performed, and members of the Middle and Upper School Orchestras joined together on a Mozart Canon. Upper School soloists included Simonida Spasojevic ’19 and Elizabeth Donovan ’20 on the flute, and Robert Wang ’19 on guitar. Daniel Shaud and Magdalena Richter are directors of the Classical program.
Middle School Chamber Ensemble members are: Sebastian Connelly, Lily Girard, Annie Heuer, Jenny Hotchkiss, Quinn Taylor-Black, violin; Julien Burks, Tayja Sallie, Ethan Zheng, cello;
Katherine Liu, piano.
Upper School Orchestra and Piano Ensemble members include: Ashley Burgarella, Yasmin Myers, Abigail Warwick, violin I; Samuel Adams, Graydon Hewitt, Julia Homa, violin II; Sarah Lamour, MacKenzie Larkin, viola; Andrew Sledeski, Daniel Weitz, cello; Lindy Billhardt, double bass; Sarah Bargamian, Elizabeth Donovan, Khloe Katende, Simonida Spasojevic, flute;
Soobin Lee, oboe; Alexander Clay, Emily Shen, clarinet; Robert Wang, guitar; Daniel Shaud, French horn; Apsara Balamurugan, Emilia DeJesus, Estelle Luong, Olivia Xu, piano.
© 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.