CHELSEA YAN’ 25 (TOP), ISABELLE GUILIANO ‘21 (BOTTOM)
THE ARTS THE RIVERS SCHOOL EXCELLENCE WITH HUMANITY
FALL 2021
SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS The Scholastic Art & Writing awards have been recognizing and inspiring student creativity for nearly a century, since their founding in 1923. This year’s state-level awards saw 16 Rivers students garner 21 prizes for photography, drawing, painting, and other forms of visual art. Among them were two Gold Key awards, which are automatically entered into the national competition. “Students’ entries are blindly adjudicated by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts,” explains visual arts faculty member Nicole Winters. “Jurors look for works that exemplify the awards’ core values: originality, technical
HANNAH LAPIDES ‘22
skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.” Receiving Gold Key awards for studio art were Cailyn Murphy ’23, “Longing” (photography), and Chelsea Yan ’25, “A Dark Night’s Wish” (digital art). Yan also earned a Silver Key for drawing. Other Silver Key award-winners included Marin Broderick ’22 (printmaking), Maddie Foley ’22, (drawing & illustration), Cece Kinney ’21 (photography), Maggie Leeming ’21 (photography), Adebiyi Oyaronbi ’21 (printmaking and ceramics), and Eli Wasserman ’21
(photography). In addition, ten other students earned Honorable Mentions.
TopHonors
ANNIE HEUER ‘21
Several Rivers artists were recognized with awards in the Page Waterman Gallery’s Next Up! Arts competition. The show is a juried and highly selective exhibition drawing submissions from both public and private schools in Wellesley and adjacent towns. “This is really a show for which we pull submissions from our top artists,” said Tim Clark, visual art department chair. Out of 200 total submissions, eight Rivers students were honored, including Hannah Lapides ’22, who earned a
First Prize in photography for “Winter Exhale”. Receiving Third Prize honors were Will Elwood ’21 for his photograph “Spatial Puzzle” and Isabelle Guiliano ’21 for
her ceramics piece “Over Shadow”. Receiving Honorable Mentions were: Maggie Leeming ’21 , “Affection c. 2020” (photography); Lindsey Filoon ’21 , “Beyond
Expression” (drawing/painting); Annie Heuer ’21, “Tension” (drawing/painting); Keira Thompson ’22 , “Poetic Justice (drawing/painting); and Mia Simon ’22
“No Change” (photography).
SISAL ART COMPETITION
Rivers students also earned four awards at the 22nd annual Small Independent Schools Arts League (SISAL) juried show, held last April at Cape Cod Academy. The show included nearly 700 pieces submitted by students in grades 7 through 12 from independent schools in an area that includes Worcester, Boston, Providence,
ADEBIYI OYARONBI ‘21
and Cape Cod. Sophia Cornwall ’25 earned First Place for ceramics in the Middle School division,
while Romy Arie ’21 earned First Place for woodworking in the Upper School Division. Earning Third Place recognition were Brooke Carter ’27 (mixed media) and Annie Heuer ’21 (drawing). ROMY ARIE ‘21
HIGHLIGHTS MUSIC PROGRAM
THEATER ARTS 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 year, the drama productions were performed virtually due to COVID-19. Following the hilarious production of Puffs! in the herculean efforts of director Zoë Iacovelli and fall of 2019, the cast and crew of the annual drama her team. Behind the scenes, it took tremendous production wondered how this year’s production flexibility to make it all come together. “Being part would top it. Staging a play in the middle of a of so many shows really taught me to never be too pandemic, however, posed an even greater married to an idea, to always be flexible and ready challenge. Instead of performing a standard two- for a change,” Iacovelli says. act play in the Black Box, the actors and actresses The students recorded themselves singing their involved staged eight 10-minute one-act plays, parts alone at home and the recordings were each with its own storyline and incredibly different then woven together through digital video editing. from the next. The original plays were written by Dance numbers, choreographed to allow proper Rivers alumni from a previous playwriting class social distancing, were recorded in the wide taught by English teacher and the plays’ director open spaces of Kraft Dining Hall. In the end, what Juliet Bailey. The 19 Upper School students of the the audience saw and enjoyed was a seamless cast performed Flowers, Helmet Talk, Weltschmerz, pre-recorded show with students harmonizing, The Single, The Other Woman, Speeding Ticket, dancing in sync, providing patter between songs, Noah and the Dream Seller, and Casting a Shadow, and generally performing a wonderful musical, all rehearsing each one outside at various places to the delight of audiences. The unique production around campus throughout the fall with shows had an added bonus as well. “In a musical, not airing virtually in November. everybody gets to have a big solo, much as I’d like Putting on a musical can have its challenges in any them to,” says Iacovelli. “But in this show, the way given year, too, but attempting to put on a major we constructed it, every kid was seen, every kid production in an era of masks and social distancing was shining, every kid got to express themselves was particularly daunting. Nevertheless, the and be themselves.” intrepid team that made up the Nonesuch Players The final play last year was the Middle School’s last year showed their can-do spirit with their production of Beauty and the Beast. Similar to production of Bring Back the Broadway Lights, the Upper School’s productions, the cast and an all-singing, all-dancing musical revue knitting crew rehearsed in the open space of Kraft Hall together songs from Broadway shows closed with singing rehearsals taking place in the Revers by the pandemic. Despite the restrictions due to garage. In the final days, the production moved Covid, the highly entertaining show celebrated to the Black Box and a videographer filmed the countless Broadway musicals while providing the entire show over four days. Musical tracks were Rivers community with a show full of joy, humor, added later by a sound editor. The final result was hope, and elaborate song and dance numbers — all a rousing success when it aired in May. “Seeing in a virtual space. the excitement build on the filming days and the A cast of 32 Upper School students performed way the kids supported each other during that numbers as different and distinctive as “You’ll Be time and the afternoon the cast watched the Back” (Hamilton), “You Learn” (Jagged Little Pill), streamed production together in the Black Box “You Will Be Found” (Dear Evan Hanson), “Friend and cheered each other after every scene were the Like Me” (Aladdin), and many more. It all came two highlights for me,” said Middle School drama off without a hitch, thanks in no small part to the teacher/director Diane Devore.
The exceptional music program at Rivers typically earns numerous awards and honors annually for its ensembles as well as individual musicians and performers. Due to Covid19, however, many of the competitions were canceled. Still, there was much to celebrate in music during the 2020-21 school year, not the least of which was the extraordinary efforts that took place to ensure Rivers’ extensive music program could continue to flourish despite the safety protocols.
While many schools were forced to cut or dramatically curtail their music programs entirely, Rivers’ many ensembles and private lessons went on. Instead of the usual rehearsal and recital hall spaces, musical groups could be heard performing under tents, in the Revers garage, and on the shores of Nonesuch Pond. “Last spring when we went fully remote we made it work,” says Dan Shaud, co-director of the performing arts program. “But I sensed a real sadness, especially from our most committed kids. Playing at home by yourself is just not the same.” To that end, the school invested in a number of software programs, platforms and other innovations that enabled students to play in sync, enhance their sight-reading skills, and enjoy a meaningful experience. Typically, the school calendar is replete with vocal, jazz and classical concerts throughout the year, and music lessons and performances are part of the curriculum. For both jazz and classical instrumentalists, layers of specialized PPE were added to abide by the school and state guidelines. “Playing with PPE takes some getting used to,” said Will Randall ’21, a member of the Conservatory Program in jazz. With all the challenges, there were few complaints. “I am positively inspired that the joy of being able to make music together ended up overriding that it was a little cold under the tent or that it took longer to get set up,” said jazz director Philippe Crettien. “The end result was so precious. We love making music, and we were just so grateful we could do it with our students.”
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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 800 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 hone their talents. The Conservatory provides private lessons, theory classes, and ensemble work. Rivers students can draw on the expertise of 98 private instrumental and vocal music teachers. The faculty seek to help their students excel through frequent evaluation, workshops, and performance opportunities. It is their goal to guide students in developing competence, confidence, and a lifelong love of music.
ARTS FACULTY
in Visual Arts Education from Tufts University in 2015. Ms. Winters
a Master of Music in musicology from the University of Missouri-
works in a variety of mediums concentrating in printmaking and
Kansas City. After finishing his PhD in historical musicology at the
painting.
Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2019, he
LILY GILLETT teaches 6th and 7th grade art, is the 7th grade dean, JULIET BAILEY teaches the Upper School drama electives and playwriting, coordinates the school’s National Shakespeare Competition, and directs Upper School drama productions. Past shows include Almost, Maine, The Laramie Project, The Comedy of Errors, She Kills Monsters, Our Town, and Puffs. She joined the Rivers faculty in 1997 and in 2005 received the Mida van Zuylen Dunn Award for Teaching. Before Rivers, Ms. Bailey taught and directed at Millbrook School and Wyoming Seminary, and earned a Fulbright Teaching Exchange Fellowship which took her to Budapest, Hungary, for a year. A graduate of Bates College, she
and coaches Middle School field hockey. She is also on the Middle School leadership team. She earned a BA in studio art from Hobart & William Smith College where she was an arts scholar and varsity field hockey player. Ms. Gillett works in a variety of media with a focus on printmaking and painting. After playing Division I and professional soccer, Middle School art teacher CHRIS LOVE earned a BA in studio art degree from the University of Maryland. He later earned his master’s of arts and teaching from Tufts/SMFA. In addition to teaching and coaching, he is currently working as lead drawing instructor at The Putney
earned her MA from Middlebury College.
Summer Art Camp and facilitating professional development at
DIANE DEVORE, Middle School drama teacher and school
curriculum that promotes identity development and social justice.
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 have included A Midsummer Night’s
The Multicultural Teaching Institute and designing innovative art Mr. Love has illustrated children’s books, designed album covers, hand-painted custom skateboards, as well as other commissioned works in private collections. RINDY GARNER teaches sculpture in the Upper School. She
Dream, Shrek, Honk, and The Lion King.
is a graduate of the Maine College of Art where she majored in
PHILIPPE CRETTIEN, the director of the Rivers jazz program
School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She works in wood, stone, and
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 BM from Berklee College of Music, and in 2020 earned a Master of Music in jazz composition at UMass, Amherst. In addition to touring Europe and South America with his band, the Philippe Crettien Quartet, he has performed and recorded with John Medeski, Bill Lowe, Branford Marsalis, Andre Jaume, Andy Jaffe, Bill Baron, and Mr. Jelly Belly. Mr. Crettien has recently performed with bassist and composer Mario Pavone. In 2014 he released a new CD as band leader, entitled “November Dusk,”
sculpture. In addition, she earned her MFA from Tufts University/ mixed mediums.
earned his MFA in Ceramics from The School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology. Mr. Clark has been teaching
instructor, earned his BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and his MA in Art Education from Boston University, focusing his research on using contemporary themes of identity to engage 21st century students in the art studio. In addition to teaching and coaching Girl’s Cross Country, Mr. Nisbet is a content coach for the National Math and Science Initiative where he creates and leads professional development for art history teachers around the country. Outside of school, you can find Mr. Nisbet playing with his family, from walking in parks and running through sprinklers in the summer to playing ice hockey on the lake in the winter. GABRIELLA SANNA, Director of the Conservatory and chair of Rivers’ Performing Arts Department, has a master’s degree in piano performance from the Longy School of Music; an artist diploma in piano performance from the Accademia Internazionale di Novara, Italy; and a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Conservatorio di Musica “L. Canepa,” Sassari, Italy. She formerly
of Music, and Chamber Music Director and Artist-in-Residence at Beaver Country Day School. Most recently, she was Executive
the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland. She is a member of
Director at Project STEP (String Training Education Program).
the Lexington Symphony, and has performed with many other orchestras in the Boston area. Ms. Zurad conducts the Preparatory String Orchestra at NEC, the Young People’s String Orchestra, the at BYSO. She is also on the string faculty at NEC and the Rivers
PAUL HUBERDEAU, accompanist for Rivers’ choral ensembles, 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
BILL JONES began his jazz studies at the University of New
local organizations as The Wellesley Players, The Weston Friendly
Hampshire and later earned his master’s degree from the New
Society of the Performing Arts, and The Turtle Lane Playhouse.
England Conservatory where he studied with Jerry Bergonzi, John McNeil, and George Garzone. As a performer, Mr. Jones plays regularly at venues in and around Boston including Wally’s, Ryles,
NICOLE WINTERS teaches drawing, painting, and printmaking in
Middle School Jazz Band.
Art History and Printmaking. In addition, she earned a MAT degree
JEFFREY NISBET, Upper School two-dimensional art and design
of Music degree from Longy School of Music. She also attended
at Rivers since 2006.
the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and earned a BFA in
ensemble dedicated to advancing social justice through song.
Piano Competition, Assistant Director at the Dana Hall School
The Beehive, Beat Hotel, and The Lilypad. At Rivers, he teaches
the Upper School and is the Gallery Coordinator. She studied at
including the Bach Collegium at St. Peter’s and Inspire, a choral
New England Conservatory and a graduate diploma and Master
School Conservatory, where she directs the Camerata Strings.
After teaching for five years he returned to graduate school and
Dr. Marks has sung most recently with vocal ensembles in New York
served as Artistic Director of Steinway Society of Massachusetts
TIM CLARK, Art Department Chair and Upper School Ceramics
with Toshiko Takaezu, a renowned ceramic artist, for one year.
Institute of Sacred Music. Both a scholar and practitioner of music,
School Orchestras, received a bachelors of music degree from
Petit Ensemble, and the Intensive Community Program Orchestra
and a minor in Art History. Following graduation, he apprenticed
completed a year-long postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University’s
MARTA ZURAD, the string specialist for the Middle and Upper
featuring RSC faculty.
teacher, graduated from Skidmore College with a BS in Studio Art
THE CONSERVATORY PROGRAM This course of study combines an intense and demanding co-curricular music program (under the auspices of the Conservatory) with an equally rigorous academic program in the Upper School at Rivers. There is also a Middle School Conservatory Program that offers chamber or jazz ensembles and theory classes two afternoons a week. An audition is required as part of the application process to both the Middle and Upper School Conservatory Programs. For further information and audition requirements, please contact either the Rivers Admissions Office or The Rivers School Conservatory.
theory and private lessons and directs the Rivers Big Band and the
GRETCHEN NASH teaches Ceramics in the Upper School, returning to Rivers after substituting long-term in both Ceramics and Spanish. Gretchen holds a Masters in Spanish/English Translation from Brandeis University and a Masters in Higher Education Student Personnel (HESPA) from William James College. After years of working in the fields of Interpreting, Disparities in
TOM MARKS is the director of the Middle School Select Chorus,
Health/Health Care and Education, and Student Services, the
Upper School Women’s Chorus, and Upper School Men’s Chorus.
vocation became the occupation and her love for clay prevailed.
Dr. Marks received a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and
In addition to teaching, Gretchen is a professional ceramic artist.