On a Saturday night in early December, The Rivers School’s Benson Gymnasium was filled with the sounds of marimba music, musical theater song and dance, big band jazz, and a full symphony providing holiday revelry.

While Holiday Pops is a long-standing tradition for RSC, this was the first year that it was held in Benson Gymnasium. The new venue accommodated more than 300 ticket-holders at the sold-out event, which raised money for the RSC Financial Aid Fund. Tables dressed in blue and white linens, golden fairy lights, white poinsettias on the tables, a forest of evergreen trees, a variety of delectable bites provided by The Rivers School’s dining team, and a string quartet of Rivers and RSC students all contributed to the holiday cheer and support for the arts.

Guests of all ages attended, including both new and longtime friends of RSC.  Many were pleased to welcome back Angel Ramón Rivera, a former RSC director, for whom Rivera Hall is named. Bedecked in a reindeer-themed vest, tie, and pocket square combo, RSC Director of Operations Lindsey Robb got everyone in the holiday spirit as the evening’s MC. Executive Director of Performing Arts Javier Caballero then took the mic and expressed gratitude to the many people who made the event possible, acknowledging that this year marked the largest Holiday Pops to date. 

Kicking off the musical performances was the Marimba Magic Ensemble under the direction of Sarah Tenney. Students aged 6 through 18 were joined by guest RSC alumna Juliette Loschen, performing marimba arrangements of Praetorius’ “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Select students from the Rivers Upper School and Middle School Musical Theater Conservatory Program, led by Zoë Iacovelli, took the stage next for a choreographed performance of familiar seasonal songs—from “Let It Snow!” (popularized by Dean Martin) to “My Favorite Things” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. 

Rivers School Trustee Alison Hall P’19 shared the heartfelt and lasting impact RSC has had on their family and expressed gratitude for the audience’s continued support of RSC. Then the Rivers Honors Big Band, led by Philippe Crettien, Rivers and RSC Director of Jazz Studies, entertained guests with a few jazz hits, closing the set with Charles Mingus’ “Boogie Stop Shuffle”, which, Crettien told the crowd, is the ensemble’s favorite piece. 

For the final concert of the evening, Director Chris Memoli led the Rivers Youth Symphony Orchestra through a variety of orchestral arrangements of holiday fare, including Felix Bernard’s “Winter Wonderland,” before kicking off a holiday sing-along.

 The evening culminated in the raffle drawing, led by Robb as MC. As the raffle tickets were pulled, the winners excitedly claimed prizes, including gift certificates to the Brasswood Inn in Provincetown and to Rockport Music, as well as a tandem skydive. The excitement built to the “heads or tails” game, which resulted in a winner claiming a pair of BSO tickets. The Rivers Youth Symphony closed the show with the finale of “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. 

The high energy of the sold-out event was a great way to close the evening, but that wasn’t all. This year’s Holiday Pops raised over $49,000 for the RSC Financial Aid Fund, which benefits nearly 25% of the total students who study at RSC. The Rivers School Conservatory is committed to making music education accessible to as many students as possible, and with this year’s Holiday Pops, even more students will have the opportunity to take advantage of these opportunities in the future.

Article written by Emily Lobono

Save the date for RSC’s 50th Anniversary Concert & Celebration on May 30, 2026, at The Rivers School from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. To receive updates about this and other events, subscribe to RSC’s Concerts and Events newsletter by emailing music@rivers.org.