Ilyich Rivas Conductor
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra-
Peabody Institute Conducting Fellow
“[Rivas’] presence was felt throughout… always thoughtfully; holding the reins tightly, his pacing felt deliberate and manicured [and] he had a rich, comprehensive overview of the symphony.”
Ilyich Rivas was born in Venezuela in 1993 into a distinguished musical family – his father Alejandro Rivas is also a conductor and for a number of seasons was Music Director of the Metro State Symphony Orchestra in Denver. From the time Ilyich Rivas was a very young boy it was clear he had a natural talent for conducting and he started studying with his father when he was just six years of age. Rivas has frequently returned to Venezuela to conduct one of the youth orchestras in his own city, the Orquesta Simón Bolívar del Táchira.
Last year Rivas was selected as one of seven young conductors from around the world to participate in the prestigious Cabrillo Festival Conductors Workshop in California, where he made a significant impression on both Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier. After an audition in front of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), he was awarded the position of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Peabody Institute Conducting Fellow starting in September 2009. This position permits Rivas to study conducting at the Peabody Conservatory under Meier’s guidance and to work closely with Marin Alsop and the BSO, conducting the orchestra on certain occasions.
Last summer, Rivas spent an extensive period of time in Europe, working with some of the world’s leading conductors. In July, he conducted a symphonic programme with the KulturOp Youth Orchestra in Macedonia. Following this, at the invitation of Glyndebourne Opera, he observed rehearsals and performances where he was mentored by Vladimir Jurowski. He then attended the first Verbier Festival Conducting Academy where he worked with Kurt Masur. On his return to the US in August, Rivas made his professional debut, conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in a summer festival concert.
photo of Image 8 -PhotoCredit- atlantaphotographer.com- 2009
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