Melody and mastery collided as the spotlight turns to cellist Aristides Rivas in the eagerly awaited fourth installment of the Faculty Artist Series on Saturday, Feb. 10. This exclusive musical rendezvous promised an evening of unparalleled artistry.
Rivas, Grammy-nominated cellist and adjunct professor at CBU, put together a setlist of classical music for the students and faculty on campus. He prepared the piece “The Swan” from “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saens, “Suite No.3 in C major,” BWV 1009 for Violoncello Solo by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Suite for Violoncello Solo” by Gaspar Cassado and Le Grand Tango.
The performance lasted an hour, but time flew as Rivas transformed the room with his playing. For the last song he played, he invited his colleague Dr. Gene Moon to play the piano for the final piece. The connection the two had with the audience, each other and the music itself filled the small room with warmth and joy. Students were smiling back at their professors and before the final song, they even walked up with gifts of floral bouquets to give to Rivas.
“Working with Dr. Moon, it has always been a pleasure to see somebody that I know I can count on for anything, and being able to play with him was really fun,” said Rivas.
After the first instrumental, when Rivas went to take a break, he got up and bantered with his audience, engaging with them as he said, “I will now tell a few jokes while I rest my arm.”
In between each song, he spoke passionately about his preparation for the piece and what it meant that he was now playing it again. Rivas’ passion and effort did not go unnoticed.
“I just cannot relax. If I do something, I just have to do it the best I can. And this recital was not an exception. So I did. I did prepare a lot, worked very hard for this program,” Rivas said, “It was a challenging program; some of the music I was familiar with, but some of the pieces were new to me. So, bringing the new pieces to the same level as the ones that I’m more comfortable with was challenging.”
At the end of his performance, he spoke to his audience, cracked a few jokes and mentioned a student had wanted him to prepare a piece in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up. He played a small excerpt from a familiar melody that many associate with love, “La Vie en Rose,” apparently by ear, as he said, “It goes something like that,” and chuckled.
A standing ovation occured shortly after he finished that quick song, and as soon as he was free, his students flooded the floor, waiting eagerly to speak to him after his show.
Lily Bostrom, senior instrumental performance and music education major, expressed her gratitude that the Faculty Artist Series allowed her to hear one of her favorite professors and mentors.
“Very rarely do students get the opportunity here to hear their professors perform. Being able to hear professionals in the field show the things they teach in their own playing is so special. I’ve had hours spent in lessons focusing on bow control with Professor Rivas, and getting to see him execute this control that he’s teaching me is awe-inspiring. It is an incredible learning opportunity,” Bostrom said.
Likewise, Rivas mentioned how long he has been teaching, which was before he was an adult, and the passions he has grown to have for teaching and playing. Rivas’ goal for any performance is to give his all.
“I cannot ask my students in their lessons and demand that they work hard, the hardest they can, if I’m not doing it myself, right? So, I need to teach by demonstration or be a role model. And for me, that was one of the main reasons why I did everything possible to present a top-notch concert,” Rivas said.
Through his best efforts to show the care and passion that he has not only for his music and his craft but for his students and being a mentor, he leaves his students awe-inspired by the kind of person that he is and what he brings to the music school at CBU.
“I had previously seen him perform a violin and cello concerto several years prior, but that was before I knew him as my teacher. This experience, after having a personal connection with him, made every note that came from his cello in his hands erupt with a story,” said Bostrom. “Professor Rivas is a true source of light in the world and an untapped source of potential and knowledge in the School of Performing Arts.”
The feeling is mutual among Rivas’ students, as he has helped to build a community that shares the love for music and appreciation for the art of playing an instrument that many of his students saw as a unique and authentic experience to see him play.
“I have known Professor Rivas my whole time at CBU. He has coached some of my chamber groups and provided invaluable insight into playing my instrument,” said Jeremy Ward, senior and music education major, “He is such a kind and humble human that one would barely expect him to be so incredible upon meeting him. I haven’t had the opportunity to hear him play solo music before, so it was a real treat to just enjoy his recital.”
When it comes to teaching, for Rivas, it is a full-circle moment. He sees that it goes hand in hand with playing and understands that his students want to see him playing and his discipline and control when playing. The Faculty Artist Series was a moment for professors to show their students who they are.
“I was trained by my teachers to teach. I feel it’s almost a responsibility but not a duty. But it’s something more more more deeper than that. I think it’s something that is very fulfilling for me. It kind of completes the cycle to teach. For me, it’s like a way to pass on something, a gift given to me,” Rivas said. “Teaching is my way to complete the cycle to pass on the knowledge and wisdom shared with me by so many people.”
As the music faded out of the audience’s ears that evening and the recital came to a close, the standing ovation that Rivas received was just the beginning of the gratitude and enjoyment he received from his students and colleagues as their faces lit up with happiness.
“It was like they were looking at me for the first time. So they came with a lot of curiosity and questions and feedback,” Rivas said. “I enjoyed kind of reintroducing myself to them and letting them know that that’s something that I do. They can count on me as a mentor to achieve whatever dreams they have.”
