Arts 2017-18

JOELLE MENTIS ’18 “THE UNDER REPRESENTED”

THE ARTS THE RIVERS SCHOOL EXCELLENCE WITH HUMANITY

FALL 2017

SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS Rivers Art and Writing Win National Recognition Rivers students won three National Silver Awards and 26 state awards - ten Gold Keys, eight Silver Keys, and eight Honorable Mentions - in the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Competitions. The National Award recipients were selected from Gold Key winners in the state competition, which was sponsored by the Boston Globe. Six Rivers students received multiple state awards, including Isabel Hardy ’18, who won awards in both writing and art. The national Silver Key Award winners from Rivers were Apsara Balamurugan ’20 for writing, Madeleine Foley ’22 for color photography, and Joelle Mentis ’18 for printmaking.

In addition to Hardy, five individuals received multiple awards at the state level. Mentis received two Gold Keys in printmaking for “Wrinkled Thoughts” and “The Under represented.” David Freedman ’17 received two Silver Keys in printmaking for “Flux Face” and “Portrait of Seamus.”

And Frank Ferrara ’17 received two awards in ceramics—a Silver Key for “The Tides” and an Honorable Mention for “Bottle.” Chosen from more than 15,000 entries in art and 2,500 entries in writing, the winning work was reviewed by more than 50 judges on the basis of three criteria: originality, technical skill, and personal vision. Additional Gold Key recipients were: Madeleine Foley ’22 in photography for “Bug on Blueberries,” Alex Klein ’18 for his photograph “Anticipation,” Isabel Silvia ’18 in sculpture for “Multifaceted,” Emily Smith ’18 in ceramics for “Lettuce Share,” and Hunter Taylor-Black ’18 for her photograph “Spatial Grace.”

“It is wonderful that many of our student artists were recognized for their creative expression in a diverse range of media from both our Middle School and Upper School divisions,” said David Saul, Chair of the Visual Arts Department. In the writing competition, five students won a total of seven awards - three Gold Keys, three Silver Keys, and one Honorable Mention - with two students receiving multiple awards. Phie Jacobs ’18 received a Gold Key in science fiction/fantasy for “The Ballad of the White King” and an Honorable Mention in personal essay/memoir for “Fifty Reasons Not to Kill Myself.” Bethany Pasko ’19 won two Silver Keys, for a short story entitled “12 Years: A Death Row Story” and a poem, “The Star of David.”

Apsara Balamurugan ’20 received a Gold Key for a memoir entitled “8,500 Miles Closer,” Isabel Hardy won a Gold Key for “Stolen Moments: A Collection of Poems,” and Ashley Burgarella ’18 won a Silver Key in science fiction/fantasy for “For the Advancement of Society.”

SARAH MORGAN ’18 “MOOSE”

EMILY SMITH ’18 “LETTUCE SHARE”

CAROLINE PHELPS ’18 “BREWING”

ALEX KLEIN ’18 “ANTICIPATION”

SISAL ART COMPETITION Rivers student artists received 12 awards at the 2017 Small Independent School Art League (SISAL) annual exhibition. More than 400 entries were submitted by 17 participating schools in a variety of media, and were judged in two divisions—grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. Rivers students received two first-place prizes, four second-place prizes, two third-place prizes, and four honorable mentions. “SISAL is a wonderful opportunity for all of our students in both our Middle and Upper Schools to submit their artwork to be judged against their peers in independent schools,” said Visual Arts Department Chair David Saul. “All of our art teachers were represented with at least one prize winner, as well as most of the media we offer in our curriculum.”

Earning a First Prize in the Upper School division were Sarah Morgan ’18 (“Moose”, woodworking) and Caroline Phelps ’18 (“Brewing”, ceramics). Second Prizes were awarded to Zoe Brown ’19 (“Rolling Hills”, woodworking), Matt Cronin ’19 (“Gesture”, hand-built ceramics), and Frank Ferrara ’17 (“Untitled”, wheel-thrown ceramics). Tully Mahoney ’19 won a Third Prize in the Upper School division for “Liquid Light” (black & white photography). Finally, the following received Honorable Mention: Carter Ablon ’20 (“Triangle Topped Container”, woodworking), Lorraine Byrne ’17 (“National Park”, wheel-thrown ceramics), Maddie Cornetta ’19 (“Carousel”, sculpture), and Hunter Taylor-Black ’18 (“Reflection/Refraction”, printmaking). Rivers Middle School students also earned two prizes: a Second Prize in painting went to Keira Thompson ’22 for “Ice Cream” and

MADELEINE FOLEY ’22 “BUG ON BLUEBERRIES”

a Third Prize in drawing went to Adebiyi Oyaronbi ’21 for “David Gage”.

THEATER ARTS THROUGH THE YEAR The Nonesuch Players stage three major dramatic productions a year. Each season offers something different for actors. The Upper School dramatic production and musical take place in the fall and winter, respectively, while the spring features a Middle School production. Fall and spring performances take place in the school’s Black Box Theater, while the winter musical is held in the Eleanor Welch Casey Theatre at nearby Regis College in Weston.

Last fall, the Nonesuch Players presented their production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors in the Haffenreffer Black Box Theater. It was the first time the Players tackled Shakespeare since they produced Twelfth Night in 2012. While the script was tweaked by director Juliet Bailey, the production remained true to the Bard’s beloved comedy. “I was looking for a lighthearted and ridiculous show that would be different from the intense drama that ‘The Laramie Project’ was the year before,” director and English teacher Juliet Bailey said. “‘Comedy of Errors’ has a lot of opportunities for big-time farce – mistaken identities, chaos, lots of physical humor, and stage combat. It fit the bill completely.” Ms. Bailey combined three different interpretations of the play and shifted the setting to Las Vegas, trading a shipwreck for a plane crash and also added Elvis to really bring the Vegas setting to life. “This is such a wacky and ridiculous show that had something for every comedic taste,” Ms. Bailey said. “From stuffed snakes, to pink flamingos, to twins that look nothing alike, to the comedic chemistry between the characters

– it’s just a good laugh.” The winter musical production of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden wowed and delighted audiences during its February run. The production showcased the singing and acting talents of a wide array of students, both veteran and newcomers to the stage, as well as elaborate staging, costumes, and choreography. “This epic show charts the Biblical stories of Adam and Eve, the fall of man, Cain and Abel, Noah’s ark, and the great flood,” said director Chris Holownia. “It never went to Broadway and so remains one of Schwartz’s lesser-known musicals, especially when compared with ‘Godspell’, ‘Pippin’, and ‘Wicked’.

However, the soaring music and beautiful messages are both timeless and timely.” The show explores themes as broad as the origin of the universe and as personal

as sibling rivalry, but throughout the show’s journey its focus remains on the choices made by characters when confronted by these dilemmas. The talented cast brought the tale to life and audiences at all the performances responded with several standing ovations. The final play last year was the Middle School’s production of Alice in Wonderland. Under the direction of Diane DeVore and Assistant Director Julia Auster ‘06, the production blended both of Lewis Carroll’s classic stories about Alice – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There – to create a two-act show that provided students with a litany of characters to inhabit as Alice, played by Tatiana Sanchez ’23, navigates her way through trials, tea parties, and a chessboard en route to becoming a queen.

MUSIC GOLD The exceptional music program at Rivers earns numerous awards and honors annually for its ensembles as well as individual musicians and performers. For the myriad musical groups at Rivers, the 2016-17 school year was another notable one.

THE RIVERS BIG BAND earned a Gold Medal along with three individual awards at the Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education (MAJE) Senior District Competition.

Alex Gomez ’17 (saxophone), Joe Nedder ’18 (trombone), and Michael Manasseh ’19 (drums) each received Outstanding Musician awards for their performances at the competition. The Big Band moved on to the next stage of the competition, MAJE State Finals, where they earned a Silver Medal. Nedder and Manasseh both played at the MMEA All-State Festival in late April. Manasseh was the only percussionist chosen, making him the top-rated drummer in the state, while Nedder was one of four trombonists chosen for the state jazz band. In addition to playing for the Big Band, Manasseh and Nedder are also members of the Select 1 Combo, which won its own Gold Medal at the MAJE’s Combo Festival.

Spasojevic was also invited to perform a flute solo. The Conservatory Program Vocal Ensemble, which included Thabi Khumalo ‘17, Michaela Francesconi ‘18, Nazeli Hagen ‘17, Joe Nedder ‘18, Natalie Hall ‘19, Isabel Hardy ‘18, and Margo Sugarman ‘20, was also selected for the MICCA Honors Concert. Also receiving Gold Medals at the MICCA competition were the Bruch Trio with Emily Shen ‘18 (violin), MacKenzie Larkin ‘18 (violin), and Apsara Balamurugan ‘20 (piano); a duo with Abi Warwick ‘19 and Olivia Xu ‘20; and a Middle School duo with Tayja Sallie ‘21 (cello) and Katherine Liu ‘23 (piano).

The Middle School Select Chorus participated in the annual Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags in May and won first place in their division. They also received the highest overall score for all middle school choral ensembles at the festival. Finally, in late May the Upper School Chamber In May, six instrumental and vocal ensembles from the Orchestra and two piano trios from the Conservatory Rivers Conservatory Program participated in the MICCA Program performed at MusicFest Canada, an international competition. In addition to their overall superior rating music competition, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The first based on the statewide MICCA grading system, three piano trio included Ashley Burgarella ’18 (violin), Daniel entries were invited to the MICCA Honors Concert, the Weitz ’20 (cello), and Estelle Luong ’19 (piano), while highest honor of the festival. The Martinu Trio, featuring the second trio included Myers, Spasojevic and DeJesus.

Simonida Spasojevic ‘19 (flute), Yasmin Myers ’20 (violin), All three ensembles were awarded Gold Medals for their and Emilia DeJesus ’19 (piano), performed at the concert. performances.

THE RIVERS SCHOOL CONSERVATORY FOUNDED IN 1975 on the campus of The Rivers School, The Rivers School Conservatory is a community music school that serves nearly 900 students of all ages. While the majority of its students come from nearby communities, the Conservatory also provides a musical adjunct to The Rivers School curriculum. More than 100 Rivers students take some form of instruction at the Conservatory. Through its frequent concerts, and its Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music in particular, The Rivers School Conservatory plays a significant role in the cultural life of the school and the region. Its outstanding faculty teaches beginners of all ages, and successfully prepares those who aspire to be accomplished musicians, including preparation for professional careers. Access to the Conservatory’s myriad programs and instructors allows students from Rivers to develop and polish their talent. The Conservatory provides private lessons, theory classes, and ensemble work; Rivers students The Conservatory Program can draw on the expertise of 98 private instrumental This course of study combines an intense and and vocal music teachers. The faculty seek to help their demanding co-curricular music program (under students excel through frequent evaluation, workshops, the auspices of the conservatory) with an equally rigorous academic program in the upper school and performance opportunities. It is their goal to guide at Rivers. For further information and audition students in developing competence, confidence, and a requirements, please contact either the Rivers lifelong love of music.

Admissions O ffice.

ARTS FACULTY JULIET BAILEY Teaches English and drama and playwriting electives and directs performing arts productions in the Upper School, and coordinates the National Shakespeare Competition. In 2005, she received the Mida van Zuylen Dunn award for teaching excellence. A graduate of Bates, she earned a MA from Middlebury College, and earned a Fulbright Teaching Exchange Fellowship which took her to Budapest, Hungary for a year.

JOHN BOWER is the director of the Middle School Select Chorus, and a graduate of Haverford College where he studied voice, music theory/composition, and French. He has performed in and directed a number of community theaters, including Woodland Theater Company, Wheelock Family and Metrowest Family Theater. Mr. Bower is on the faculty at The Performing Arts Connection in Sudbury, MA, and he sings tenor in the Boston-based all-male a cappella group, “Redline.”

TIM CLARK The Upper School ceramics teacher graduated from Skidmore College with a B.S. in studio art and a minor in art history. Following graduation he apprenticed with Toshiko Takaezu, a renowned ceramic artist, for one year. After teaching for five years he returned to school and received his MFA in ceramics from The School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology. This past year Tim exhibited new work in a solo show, Explorations, in the Bell Gallery.

PHILIPPE CRETTIEN the director of the Rivers jazz program and chair of the jazz department of the RSC is a saxophonist who earned a degree in philosophy and literature from the French Lycee of London, a BA from the Sorbonne, and a BM from Berklee College of Music. In addition to touring Europe and South America with his band, the Philippe Crettien Quartet, he has performed with Branford Marsalis, Andre Jaume, Andy Jaffe, Bill Baron, Mr. Jelly Belly, and Mario Pavone. This year, he released a CD, featuring RSC faculty.

DIANE DEVORE, The Middle School drama teacher and school librarian, received her master’s in Irish theater and film from Trinity College in Dublin and her undergraduate degree in theater from Loyola University of Chicago. In addition to Middle School drama classes, she also serves as director of the Middle School plays and musicals. Past productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Our Town, Shrek, and Honk, among others. In the Middle School drama class she collaborates with students to create original scripts.

SUSAN EMMANOUILIDIS is teacher and choral director for the Rivers Upper School Women’s and Men’s Choruses and the Conservatory Program’s Gold Medal-winning Vocal Ensemble.

She is also the choral director for RSC’s Rivers Youth Chorus and the founding director of Brookline A Cappella, a small adult ensemble that performs all styles and cultures of a cappella music. Ms. Emmanouilidis also sings with The Jameson Singers, a chorus based in Belmont. She is a Certified Kodaly instructor and received her master’s from New England Conservatory.

JEFF GALINDO teaches the Middle School Instrumental Class and trombone at the Conservatory. He has a BM from Berklee College of Music and is a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has toured Japan and Europe with many bands, including the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Mr. Galindo has also performed with such notables as Chick Corea, George Russell, Slide Hampton, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin, as well as with the Boston Pops. He was also the musical director on Esperanza Spaulding’s world tour “Radio Music Society”.

RINDY GARNER teaches sculpture in the Upper School.

She is a graduate of the Maine College of Art where she majored in sculpture. In addition, she earned her MFA from Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

LILY GILLETT teaches 6th and 7th grade art, is the 7th grade dean, and coaches Middle School field hockey. She earned a BA in studio art from William Smith College where she was an Arts Scholar and varsity field hockey player. Ms. Gillett works in a variety of mediums with a focus on printmaking and painting.

JEREMY HARRISON studied at Kenyon College and earned his MFA from the University of Iowa, is a painter, printmaker and photographer. Much of his work reflects his ardent interest in the wilderness and remote landscapes.

PAUL HUBERDEAU majored in music education at The New England Conservatory and studied piano privately with Patricia Zander of Harvard University. He has performed extensively as a soloist and accompanist in New York City and throughout the East Coast. He has worked as a teacher and music director at Regis College and with such local organizations as The Wellesley Players, The Weston Friendly Society of the Performing Arts, and The Turtle Lane Playhouse.

BILL JONES began his jazz studies at the University of New Hampshire and later earned his master’s degree from the New England Conservatory. As a performer, Mr. Jones plays regularly at venues in and around Boston including Wally’s, Ryles, The Beehive, Beat Hotel, and The Lilypad. At Rivers, he teaches theory and private lessons and directs the Rivers Big Band and the Middle School Jazz Band.

CHRIS LOVE After playing Division I and professional soccer, the Middle School art teacher earned a degree in studio art from the University of Maryland. He later earned his master’s of art education from Tufts/SMFA. In addition to teaching and coaching, he is currently working on illustrating a book of short poems and designing skateboards for the company Devil Street Decks. Mr. Love has also illustrated children’s books and album covers, among other commissioned works.

MAGDALENA RICHTER is the director of the Upper School Chamber Orchestra and advisor to the Middle School Chamber Orchestra. She is a graduate of Juilliard and has won prizes in the International Music Competition in Paris, the Wieniawski International Competition, and the American Contemporary Music International Competition. She serves as chair of the string department at the RSC and the NEC Preparatory School.

DAVID SAUL The Visual Arts Department Chair and photography teacher earned a degree in visual and environmental studies from Harvard University. He spends part of his summers hiking and photographing coastal locales throughout New England. He has exhibited his panoramic and narrative photography at the Art Worcester galleries, Bentley College, Harvard, and the Fitchburg Art Museum.

DAN SHAUD is coordinator of the Rivers School Conservatory Program, conducts the Middle School Chamber Ensemble and Upper School Chamber Orchestra, and teaches music theory and chamber music. He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory and the New England Conservatory of Music. In 2015 Mr. Shaud received a Rivers faculty enrichment grant to attend the Walden School’s “Creative Musicians Retreat” in Dublin, NH, to further explore a love of musical composition and improvisation.

DAVID TIERNEY, who earned two degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, is the director of The Rivers School Conservatory, Performing Arts Department Chair, and Director of Summer Academic Programs at The Rivers School. He is a frequent organ recitalist in the Greater Boston area, is minister of music at St. Paul’s Church in Dedham, and conducts the Rivers Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Tierney has served on the boards of a number of Boston area arts organizations and schools.

LISA TOWNLEY ’01 teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, and an IDS course in the Upper School. She also advises the yearbook and coaches. Ms Townley studied at the University of Vermont and Boston University, obtaining both her BS and MFA, respectively, in art education. She works in both 2D and 3D mediums, focusing on drawing, painting, and ceramics.