n o t e s f r o m t h e c o n s e r v at o r y
Musical Theatre Conservatory Program Makes Its Debut
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ince 2003, the Conservatory Program at The Rivers School has given advanced student musicians a way to dedicate themselves to both academic and artistic growth. Until recently, it has offered jazz, classical, and vocal courses of study. This year, the program introduced a fourth concentration: musical theatre. Zoë Iacovelli, who directs the new major, came to The Rivers School in 2019 from Starline Academy and The Performing Arts Connection. She says that she quickly fell in love with “the community and everything about Rivers” and began looking for more ways to expand the school’s musical theatre offerings. “Musical theatre has always been where my passion is,” says Iacovelli, who was a musical theatre actress for six years in New York City between earning her bachelor of fine arts and her master of education degrees. When she pitched the idea of incorporating musical theatre into the school’s one-of-a-kind Conservatory Program, Iacovelli was excited to receive enthusiastic support from faculty and administrators in the performing arts department. Dedicated students who perform in the annual winter musical were eager to continue studying with Iacovelli year-round, and prospective students
In the fall, students in the Conservatory Program’s musical theatre track worked outdoors on campus.
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Roomy Rivera Recital Hall provided a safe indoor rehearsal space.
expressed similar interest in an intensive after-school musical theatre experience. Supported by this response, Iacovelli threw her knowledge and passion into the development of the new Conservatory Program path, which launched in the fall of 2020. When designing the curriculum, Iacovelli drew from key elements of vocal study, including music theory and performance classes. She then added weekly dance and acting classes to equip students with the technical skills of musical theatre that make them “triple threats.” Each student comes to the program with a unique set of strengths. “Some students are here because they love to sing, and they’re still working on their dancing. Some are incredible actors but are building their vocal technique,” Iacovelli explains. The program gives students abundant opportunities to challenge themselves in ways that fuel their growth. Jordan Felice ’25, one of nine students in the first cohort, confirms, “We learn new skills in every class in the musical theatre Conservatory Program.” For Alex Massarotti ’23, dance classes have become a welcome outlet for exploration: “I don’t and probably never
