Faculty: Alejandro Rivas

Office Phone: 303-556-8659 Email Address: arivas2@mscd.edu Classes Taught: Coordinatory of Strings, Symphony Orchestra Home Page: http://www.wright.edu/~alejandro.rivas/

Alejandro Rivas, establishing himself as one of the important conductors of his generation, is the newly appointed conductor for the Metro State Symphony Orchestra at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Mr. Rivas has been music director and conductor for the Cincinnati Seven Hills Sinfonietta, the assistant conductor for the Wright State University Symphony Orchestra, and he appears regularly with several ensembles, among them, Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de San Cristóbal, Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar del Táchira, Miami Valley Renaissance Ensemble, Dayton Chamber Players, CCM Chamber Players and CCM Wind Symphony. Next season, he will also appear as a guest conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional de Venezuela, Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar del Táchira and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Falcón. Recently, Mr. Rivas performed as a guest conductor with the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar del Táchira and the acclaimed Venezuelan pianist Arnaldo Pizzolante and was a featured conductor at French-Venezuelan’s highly prestigious Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea “A Tempo” presided by Pierre Boulez. In the summer of 2003, Mr. Rivas featured his own orchestral arrangements in a concert with the Venezuelan children’s choir Niños Cantores Táchira and the Filarmonía orchestra from San Cristóbal and, in December 2003, he conducted the premier of his “Christmas Suite,” a collection of Christmas music from around the world arranged for orchestra and choruses.

Mr. Rivas has offered conducting workshops in Venezuela in the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003, and since 2001, he serves as a consultant for the newest music program at the Universidad del Táchira in Venezuela. He is also the founder of the recently created Beavercreek Children’s Choir and part of the board of directors of the Greater of Cincinnati Children’s Choir.

Mr. Rivas studied conducting with Rodney Winther (professor of conducting, University of Cincinnati), John Leman (Professor of choral studies, University of Cincinnati) and his father, Rubén Rivas (conductor, Universidad del Táchira, Venezuela). He was the recipient of Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting (1998) and Instrumental Conducting (1999) at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and in addition, he studied three years of the Doctoral program in Instrumental Conducting, at CCM (1999-2002). He also holds a degree in Law from the Universidad Católica del Táchira, Venezuela (1992). As a cellist, he had participated with Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Caracas, Orquesta de Cámara de la Sinfónica Venezuela, Orquesta Filarmónica del Táchira and Wright State Chamber Orchestra.

In 1992, Mr. Rivas was appointed conductor of the Coro Universitario UNET. During the three years under his direction, the choir participated in several national and international choir festivals. In 1994 and 1995 he also conducted the children’s choir Niños Cantores del Táchira. His work with this group has continued, serving as guest conductor on several occasions, including their recent international tour to the city of Cincinnati (Summer 2005), and the recording of four compact discs which also feature more than 30 of his own instrumental arrangements.

Reviews:

“I had the great musical pleasure of performing avant-garde American and Venezuelan music under Mr. Rivas’ baton, in a tour throughout Venezuela. While performing a piece of Boulez-ian difficulty, Mr. Rivas consistently and quite amazingly targeted specific musical and rhythmic problems upon first hearing. I don’t know if I have ever performed with a conductor with better ears. His rehearsals are inspiring.”

Robert Marshall Auler
Professor of Piano
State University of New York-Oswego

“His conducting technique is simply superb in every respect. He sets high standards for both himself and his ensembles, which is not only in keeping with his personality, but also reflects his heritage.”

Rodney Winther
Professor of Music and Conducting
College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

“A talented and passionate conductor. I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance during the M.V.S.O. 2005-2006 concert series. He brought the very best out of the orchestra and his showmanship was first rate"

Dirk Bauman,
Dayton Daily News

"He observado con gran interés y placer las ejecuciones de Alejandro Rivas, de gran musicalidad, pulida técnica y claridad interpretativa. Tan cuidadoso y lúcido en sus ensayos como en el concierto público, el cual fue llevado con gran destreza y expresión. Sin duda un joven profesional de gran futuro, que goza de mi aprecio y admiración"

“I have had the pleasure to observe Alejandro’s very musical, transparent interpretation, as well as the polished technique of his conducting style. His careful attention to detail was constantly present in his rehearsals and in his public performance, which was executed with superb control and expression. With no doubt he is a young professional with a great future who has my esteem and admiration”

Alfredo Del Mónaco
Venezuelan Composer

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