On May 30, the Rivers School Conservatory concluded the yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary with a free community celebration and concert under the tent on Lank Quadrangle at The Rivers School, attended by nearly 400 guests. This special event brought together current students, professional community members, and returning alumni to celebrate RSC’s legacy of musical excellence. The wide-ranging musical program featured swinging New Orleans jazz along with triumphant music by Rachmaninoff, Sousa, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven. After an unseasonably cold and overcast day, the sun emerged just in time for the celebration, as if cued by a conductor.
During the first hour, RSC students and families, alumni, faculty, and honored guests connected with one another and enjoyed delectable bites. Longtime RSC faculty and staff were thrilled to visit with David Tierney and A. Ramón Rivera, both former RSC directors. Over 25 years ago, Tierney hired current RSC staff accompanist Vytas Baksys on Rivera’s recommendation. Baksys was one of the evening’s performers, and his reconnection with Tierney was one of many happy reunions at the event.
The program began with Executive Director of Performing Arts Javier Caballero welcoming attendees and honored guests, including Eve Ticknor, daughter of RSC founder Ethel Bernard. He shared that this event had been two years in the making, and “the evening’s goal was to focus on celebration, community, impact, and joy.” Rivers’ Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem then spoke about how RSC is “an important component of what happens on the Rivers campus every day.” He added that RSC contributed to the success of Rivers’ recent accreditation process, saying, “The visiting accreditation committee issued a report and listed RSC as one of our greatest strengths, citing the ‘unique and truly excellent Conservatory which serves Rivers students and the greater musical community.’”
Piano Department Co-Chair Sandra Hebert directed the first musical performance of the event: A piano extravaganza featuring four pianists. Seated at two pianos, the pianists performed pieces arranged for eight hands. As with all musical performances of the evening, this ensemble included a mix of current RSC students, alums, and faculty members.
The evening’s keynote speaker was Matthew Aucoin, an RSC alum, renowned composer, and MacArthur Fellow. Aucoin spoke about his early years as a student at RSC with teacher Sharon Schoffmann, from sixth grade through high school graduation. “Our weekly lessons, demanding though they were, became a refuge for me, a space of pure focus,” Aucoin said. “I would emerge from my lessons with Sharon feeling more grounded, more centered—my nervous system reset, my thoughts clearer.” Schoffmann was in attendance that evening as Aucoin spoke about the life-changing impact she had on him.
A vital aspect of RSC is “to provide kids with another world, a third space with a different and counterbalancing value system,” Aucoin added. “I can't imagine what my childhood and adolescence would have been like if I didn’t have contact with a community of people who saw the world the same way.”
RSC’s jazz all-stars performed next, and the group counted a very special musician among its members—Dahlem showcased his drumming abilities as the group performed a traditional “Second Line” in the New Orleans style, led by Jazz Director Philippe Crettien.
Their performance was followed by words from Janice Morris P’26, co-chair of the 50th anniversary planning committee. Morris articulated the importance of making a gift to the RSC annual fund in honor of RSC’s impact on students, sharing that her daughter Kyra’s experience as a violinist at RSC inspired their family to support RSC’s annual fund. A festival orchestra made up of current and former Rivers Youth Orchestra, Rivers Youth Wind Ensemble, and Rivers Symphony Orchestra members, as well as RSC faculty and staff, then took the stage for a celebratory rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” conducted by Christopher Memoli.
The premiere of a moving anniversary video followed their performance. The video highlighted RSC’s five decades of impact through emotional stories from Leah Jin ’25, the Manasseh family, and faculty member Ron Lowry. Jin studied at RSC from age 5 to 18, when she graduated from The Rivers School, and is currently a student at Harvard. The Manasseh family moved to the area so their children could attend Rivers. Gabe Manasseh ’26, Nathan Manasseh ’24, Joel Manasseh ’20, and Michael Manasseh ’19 first connected with RSC through the summer jazz program. Lowry has dedicated 22 years to teaching RSC students.
After the video premiere, the orchestra members were joined onstage by the festival chorus led by Krissy Skare and the Marimba Magic ensemble led by longtime faculty Sarah Tenney for the performance of a piece titled “Ode to RSC,” with RSC-themed lyrics set to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” All performers were decked out in special-edition RSC 50th T-shirts.
Caballero closed the evening by thanking everyone who had attended and inviting them to “join us as we imagine–what’s next? What’s possible at RSC?” Guests then enjoyed festive cupcakes and continued reuniting with friends, former students, and faculty. While the event’s program was centered around music, it served as a powerful reminder that RSC was built on, and thrives as a result of, the deep connections of the RSC community.
Reflecting on the event, Caballero concluded, “Thank you for joining us to celebrate the past, present, and future generations of musical excellence nurtured at RSC!”
Click here for a gallery of photos from the event.
Article written by Emily Lobono.