Biography
ART RIVERS has been commissioned to compose concert music (orchestral, choral, and chamber music), as well as orchestral arrangements, in Texas and the Midwest. He has scored several films, one of which won an award at the San Antonio Horrific Film Fest. He has written music in the electro-acoustic medium and has worked as a composer/consultant for film directors in Texas and Minnesota where he participated in a workshop led by veteran film composer, Christopher Young (Hellraiser, Spider Man 3, The Rum Diary).
Currently he is composing a work for two violins and chamber orchestra (Sunflower Music Festival premiere), as well as a piece for chamber orchestra and speaker/tenor based on Native American legend.
Rivers was born in Topeka, Kansas. The son of two professional pianist-composers, James and Julie Rivers, he began studying violin and conducting with Everett Fetter. As a young composer he was the first place winner of the Kansas Music Teachers Association Composition Contest on two occasions. As a young violinist he won concerto competitions with orchestras in the Midwest, including the Omaha Symphony, performing Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor.
At this time, Rivers continued studying violin with Charles Stegeman. He also performed in a master class for Sol Greitzer, former principal violist of the New York Philharmonic, after which he was invited to be the youngest member of Gerard Schwarz’s Waterloo Festival Orchestra at Princeton University for two summers in a row. Additional festival experience includes having played for two summers in the renowned Sunflower Music Festival Orchestra.
A full-scholarship student at the University of North Texas, Rivers received a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance, studying with Robert Davidovici. He was also the recipient of the Marjorie Fulton Memorial Fellowship (performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto). While at North Texas he was appointed concertmaster of the Denton Community Orchestra, as well as principal second violin of the UNT Symphony and Chamber Orchestras.
Rivers studied conducting with Anshel Brusilow, earning a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting. He was Brusilow’s orchestra librarian for two years, and he was also accepted to the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors.
Rivers completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers were Zhou Long, Reynold Simpson, Paul Rudy (electronic music) and James Mobberley (composition pedagogy). While at UMKC he mentored undergraduate composers, and was awarded an assistantship with Musica Nova, UMKC’s new music ensemble, led by Zhou Long.
Rivers has collaborated as violinist on several recordings produced by Earthstar Recordings/Publications.