RIVERS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Christopher Memoli, conductor Jin-Kyung Joen, violin Emily Rome, viola Saturday, November 7, 2026 Needham Town Hall
The Rivers School Conservatory & The Rivers School present
2026
Holiday Pops Join us for our most magical event of the year!
SCAN TO LEARN MORE & BUY TICKETS!
Saturday, December 5, 2026 6:30 p.m. The Rivers School MacDowell Athletic Center Benson Gym An unforgettable evening of live music, festive cheer, delicious small plates, raffle prizes, & more! All proceeds support the RSC Financial Aid Fund, ensuring that world-class music education remains accessible to all.
RIVERS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Christopher Memoli, conductor Jin-Kyung Joen, violin Emily Rome, viola Saturday, November 7, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Needham Town Hall 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492
This program is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Rivers Symphony Orchestra Christopher Memoli, conductor
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Viola, and Orchestra, K.364 (1756-1791) I. Allegro maestoso II. Andante III. Presto Jin-Kyung Joen, violin Emily Rome, viola
Intermission
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 I. Andante — Allegro con anima II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza III. Valse: Allegro moderato IV. Finale: Andante maestoso
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Rivers Symphony Orchestra Christopher Memoli, conductor Bruce Goody, orchestra manager
Violin I Kenneth Culver, concertmaster Karen Allardyce Miguel Angel Cano Kelsey Chen Nora Culver Shirley De Chant Christina Evans Theresa Fritz Michael Galvin Larry Grob Wei Han Elissa Moy Kimberly Pisklo Mala Radhakrishnan Benjamin Schrage Violin II Susan Memoli* Debbie Baker Luke Boudreau Lydia Burrage-Goodwin Anastasia Catrickes Lena Chuyan Andrea Costello Jenn Der Kelly Hansen Alyssa Lee Ana Luisa McCullough Heather Norman Eliana Petreikis Emma Seyffert Carlton Wong
Viola Alicia Winslow* Needle de Carvalho Wang Jaida Hawkins Maeve Kelley Bethany Niedbala Carissa Turner Malia Wenny Cello T Sallie* Greg Birne Jackson Carter Matt Kelley Esther Park Brendan Ryan Lisa Shumway Linda Zhang Double Bass Liz Horwitz* Aidan Moretz Connor Rader Dylan Rader Emily Tong Flute Bruce Goody* Rachael Chen Jennifer Sydney-Goldman Piccolo Rachael Chen
Oboe Michelle Passmore* Emily Gaberman Clarinet Joe Disalvatore* Meg Ramsey Bassoon Adelaide Braunhill Victoria Dominguez French Horn Paola Cano** Win (Dwight) Quayle** Arden Caldicott Rajar Manoharan Heather Pineault Trumpet Timothy Yu* Eric Schwartz Trombone Brian Rolinicik* Nash Brayton Alice Cook Tuba Peter Gilles* Timpani Gregory Depp* * Principal ** Co-Principal
Violinist JIN-KYUNG JOEN has performed and taught extensively across Italy, USA, Poland, Greece, and Korea. Since 1996, Ms. Joen has maintained violin studios in the Boston area. She is currently the Chair of the String Department at the Rivers School Conservatory. Previously, she was a faculty member at the Emerson/Harris Program at MIT, the Killington Music Festival, the Foulger International Music Festival, and the Festival Internazionale Bosa Antica in Italy. From 2017 to 2019, Ms. Joen served as the Artistic Director of Project STEP, a string instrument training and education program for students from underrepresented communities. As an active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, Ms. Joen has collaborated with distinguished musicians such as Carlo Maria Giulini, Aaron Rosand, Lya De Barberiis, Shmuel Ashkenazi, Marc Johnson, Vincenzo Mariozzi, Roman Totenberg, Ronald Feldman, and Marcello Viotti. Ms. Joen’s students have been top-prize winners in numerous international and national competitions, including the Boston Symphony Concerto Competition, the Boston Pops/Fidelity Competition, From the Top, the Arthur Grumiaux International Competition in Brussels, the Alexander and Buono International Competition in New York City, and the Costa Rica Young Soloist Competition. Ms. Joen holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatorio di Piacenza, Italy. She completed her violin studies under the tutelage of Zinaida Gilels, Pavel Vernikov, Roman Totenberg, Mario Ferraris, and Ilya Grubert.
EMILY ROME is currently a teacher and active freelance performer in the Boston area. She performs with Boston Ballet, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Odyssey Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Landmark Orchestra, and Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. Emily has performed in a quartet accompanying the Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom during the Company’s residency at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She has performed as the violist in the complete cycle of Britten church parables for the Enigma Opera. Emily is on the faculty of Rivers School Conservatory where she teaches and coaches chamber music. In the past, she has served as a chamber coach at Harvard University, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and New England Conservatory Preparatory Division. Summers find Emily on the faculty at Junior Greenwood Music Camp and the Rivers School Conservatory Summer Music Program. She has co-directed this program since 2025. In past summers, she has coached at Berkshire Summer Music Festival and Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music. Emily studied with Atar Arad at Indiana University, Kim Kashkashian at New England Conservatory and Martha Katz at Rice University. She is also a certified Suzuki teacher and studied pedagogy with Mimi Zweig at Indiana University. Emily’s long-time association with RSC started with her first orchestral experience, at the age of eight, in the RSC orchestra under the baton of Aideen Zeitlin.
CHRISTOPHER MEMOLI is the Music Director/Conductor of both the Rivers School Conservatory Youth Orchestras and Rivers Symphony Orchestra. Since founding the Rivers Youth Orchestras in 2001, Mr. Memoli has led the growth of this program from one elementary orchestra to over 300 students in five orchestras. In addition, he conducts the acclaimed Rivers Youth Symphony Orchestra. In the fall of 2021, Mr. Memoli assumed the podium as the Music Director/Conductor of the Rivers Symphony Orchestra and has since re-energized the ensemble. He is thrilled to be working with this exceptional group of adult community players, former students, local teachers and music lovers of all kinds. In addition to his responsibilities at the Rivers School Conservatory, Mr. Memoli is the retired Director of Music for the Weston Public Schools where he supervised the K-12 music program and taught high school band and orchestra. During his 28-year tenure in Weston, Mr. Memoli oversaw the development of one of the most outstanding music programs in Massachusetts. Mr. Memoli holds the degrees Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting from the University of South Carolina. In addition, he holds a graduate degree in Educational Administration. Mr. Memoli studied violin with Donald Portnoy, Luis Haza and Robert Gerle and studied conducting with Donald Portnoy, Harold Ferberman, Daniel Lewis and Lukas Foss. Mr. Memoli has conducted orchestras in 16 countries across North America and Europe. As Head Director for American Music Abroad, he has led 17 European concert tours, inspiring musicians through international performance and cultural exchange. Mr. Memoli is in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, freelance violinist and violin teacher. He currently serves as President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and was named the 2008 Massachusetts Orchestra Director of the Year.
About the Rivers Symphony Orchestra
The Rivers Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is a vibrant ensemble of The Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1996 by former RSC Music Director David Tierney, the orchestra was created to provide meaningful performance opportunities for talented adult musicians in the community. As its membership and musicianship flourished, the ensemble steadily expanded its repertoire to include increasingly ambitious and challenging works. In 2021, Maestro Memoli took the podium, bringing renewed energy and artistic vision. Under his leadership, the group has evolved into a full symphonic orchestra, performing standard symphonic repertoire with depth and distinction. Today, the orchestra is composed of dedicated community members, area music teachers, and many of Maestro Memoli’s former students — united by a shared passion for making exceptional music together. We are a growing orchestra and are always introducing new music into our repertoire. RSO has openings for the following: Viola, Cello, and Bassoon. Interested musicians should email orchestra manager Bruce Goody at bpgoody@gmail.com to set up an interview. RSO rehearses on Mondays from 7:30–9:30 p.m. during the academic year.
Program Notes Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, K.364 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364, was composed around 1779 for solo violin, solo viola, and orchestra. The work combines elements of the symphony and concerto, giving the violin and viola prominent solo roles while also allowing the orchestra to contribute significantly to the musical conversation. Mozart uses the two instruments in a balanced way, often having them imitate or respond to one another. The piece is known for its elegant melodies, clear Classical-era structure, and expressive beauty. The first movement, Allegro maestoso, begins with a grand orchestral introduction before the violin and viola enter as soloists. The two instruments frequently play together in harmony or engage in a musical dialogue. The second movement, Andante, is especially expressive and lyrical, featuring gentle melodies and emotional contrasts. Mozart’s use of a darker orchestral color, including the distinctive sound of the solo viola, gives this movement a particularly intimate and reflective character. The final movement, Presto, is energetic and lively, bringing the work to an exciting conclusion. Throughout the piece, Mozart demonstrates his ability to balance technical virtuosity with musical expression. The violin and viola are treated as equal partners rather than one simply accompanying the other, making their interaction one of the work’s defining features. K. 364 remains one of Mozart’s most admired concertante works because of its beautiful melodies, sophisticated dialogue between the solo instruments, and graceful Classical style.
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, written in 1888, is one of his most dramatic and emotionally direct orchestral works. Like his Fourth Symphony, it is often associated with the idea of fate, represented by a recurring theme first heard in the clarinets at the beginning. This theme returns throughout the symphony in different moods, sometimes dark and threatening, sometimes grand and triumphant. The first movement moves from a somber introduction into restless, passionate music full of tension and forward motion. The second movement is famous for its beautiful horn solo, one of the great lyrical moments in the Romantic symphonic repertoire. Even in this more tender movement, however, the fate theme interrupts, reminding the listener that the symphony’s emotional conflict has not disappeared. The final movements gradually transform the work’s atmosphere from struggle to victory. The waltz-like third movement offers elegance and contrast, while the finale brings back the fate theme in a brighter, more confident form. By the end, Tchaikovsky turns the symphony’s earlier darkness into a blazing conclusion, though some listeners hear the triumph as sincere while others find it almost forced or uneasy.
Program notes by Joe Disalvatore
Save the Date for RSO’s Upcoming Concerts March 6 7:00 p.m.
RSO with the Metropolitan Chorale and the Heritage Chorale and RSC’s Concerto Competition winners Regis College, Fine Arts Center, Weston, MA
May 8 7:00 p.m.
RSO Pops Concert
Kraft Dining Hall, The Rivers School, Weston, MA
About the Rivers School Conservatory The Rivers School Conservatory (RSC), a community music school in Weston, recently celebrated fifty years of musical excellence. As a program of The Rivers School, RSC offers premier music instruction to Rivers students and the wider community. Since 1975, RSC has nurtured a thriving community where musicians of all ages and skill levels can develop their talents and deepen their unique connection to music through mentorship and performance. Today, RSC’s proud tradition of excellence in music education is stronger than ever. RSC focuses on cultivating exceptional musicianship through offerings that include: private lessons; small and large ensembles; classes in music theory and composition; weekly recitals; and signature events like our annual Jazz Festival, Holiday Pops, and Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young. We are deeply committed to what makes RSC truly unique: world-class faculty, inspiring ensembles, and a network that offers steadfast support for our musicians and programs. The future is bright as we continue to expand opportunities for musicians throughout our community. Learn more at riversschoolconservatory.org
Inspiring Musical Excellence
At the Rivers School Conservatory (RSC), the pursuit of musical excellence is transformative. For over 50 years, our inspiring programs and teaching artists, accessible to musicians of all levels, have prepared students to thrive and develop a lifelong appreciation for music. Your impact by making your gift to RSC allows the RSO musicians to learn exciting repertoire, perform in inspiring concert halls, and enjoy the benefits of an ensemble that fosters community and strong connections. Visit riversschoolconservatory.org or scan the QR code to make your gift today and help sustain high-quality orchestral training for our community. Thank you for your support!
Nestor Torres
Angel Subero
RIVERS & RSC
JAZZ
FESTIVAL
S AT U R D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 6 Featuring commissioned composer
Nestor Torres with Angel Subero & Latin Logic Salsa Band Doors Open: 11:30 a.m. Performances Begin: 12:00 p.m. Featured Concert: 6:00 p.m. Location: The Rivers School Campus Center 333 Winter Street Weston, MA 02493 Learn more: Rivers.org
This event is FREE, but registration is required.
SCAN TO REGISTER!
333 Winter Street, Weston, MA 02493 | music@rivers.org | (781) 235-6840 riversschoolconservatory.org
Cover photo by Vladimir Zapletin of Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia where Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor premiered in 1888.