Aristides Rivas enjoys a versatile and international career as a multi-genre cellist, public speaker, lecturer, and teacher. He was the principal cellist of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Rivas was nominated for the Grammys for best contemporary jazz album in 2010 as part of the Julian Lage Group recording of Sounding Point [Emarcy Records]. He is a founding member of the fusion world music group Voci Angelica Trio with which he tours internationally and has recorded two albums. Rivas is also an active solo and chamber musician whose versatility in different music genres has brought him to some of
the most prestigious international venues, including the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Music Festival, Tanglewood, Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, among others.
Since his early training in Venezuela, Rivas has been an avid teacher, ranging from private lessons, group lessons, strings technique master classes, and orchestral repertoire. Rivas has taught master classes worldwide in a range of conservatories, universities and youth orchestras, such as the New England Conservatory of Music, Skidmore College, and Stanford University in the US; Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in Mexico, El Sistema Hanwha Youth Orchestra, El Sistema Bucheon Youth Orchestra and Sejong Dream Tree Youth Orchestra in South Korea; International Music Festival Presjovem in Spain, and Vivace Vilnius International Music Festival in Lithuania, among others.
Rivas received his bachelor degree from Baylor University and master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Among his principal teachers are Roberto Zambrano, Gary Hardie, Natasha Brofsky and Bernard Greenhouse. Rivas has served as cello faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. He currently serves on the faculty of California Baptist University and California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley.
the most prestigious international venues, including the Barbican, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Music Festival, Tanglewood, Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, among others.
Since his early training in Venezuela, Rivas has been an avid teacher, ranging from private lessons, group lessons, strings technique master classes, and orchestral repertoire. Rivas has taught master classes worldwide in a range of conservatories, universities and youth orchestras, such as the New England Conservatory of Music, Skidmore College, and Stanford University in the US; Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in Mexico, El Sistema Hanwha Youth Orchestra, El Sistema Bucheon Youth Orchestra and Sejong Dream Tree Youth Orchestra in South Korea; International Music Festival Presjovem in Spain, and Vivace Vilnius International Music Festival in Lithuania, among others.
Rivas received his bachelor degree from Baylor University and master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Among his principal teachers are Roberto Zambrano, Gary Hardie, Natasha Brofsky and Bernard Greenhouse. Rivas has served as cello faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. He currently serves on the faculty of California Baptist University and California School of the Arts, San Gabriel Valley.
