bio

Crystal Rivette, Pianist

photo by David Fung

Pianist Crystal Rivette grew up in Pasadena, California, and began her piano studies with her mother at age eight. Her subsequent primary teachers include Duane Funderburk, Antoinette Perry, and Eteri Andjaparidze. She has performed in master classes with Vera Gornostayeva, Dina Joffe, Bronisława Kawalla, Pavel Nersessian, Kalle Randalu, Yuri Sletsarev and Natalia Troull.

Ms. Rivette has been awarded top prizes in several California competitions, including the Peninsula International Festival, the Los Angeles Liszt Competition, the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and has performed as a competition winner with numerous orchestras including the Brentwood-Westwood and La Mirada Symphony Orchestras. She was a semifinalist in the International Russian Music Competition in San Jose, California in 2003. From 2006-2008, while at DePaul University, Ms. Rivette was an active member of the Steinway Artist Ensemble AmerKlavier. From 2008-2009 she served as Resident Life Director and Staff Accompanist in the Azusa Pacific University (APU) School of Music’s Study Abroad Program in Heidelberg, Germany.

Ms. Rivette is the Director of the Artist Certificate Program at APU. She has also been a member of the keyboard faculty since 2009, teaching Piano Literature, Piano Pedagogy, Class Piano, and spent several years contributing as a staff accompanist.   In addition to her work at APU, Ms. Rivette served as the choir accompanist and service pianist at Grace Church of Glendora from 2009-2015 under Don Neufeld.

Ms. Rivette maintains an active performance and teaching schedule in the Los Angeles area. In March 2014 she premiered Reena Esmail’s piece Curiosity with the Pasadena Master Chorale, and appeared again with them in June 2015, premiering Esmail’s new work Earth Speaks.

Education

  • Master of Music, Piano Performance (2008), DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
  • Bachelor of Music, Piano Performance (2005), Azusa Pacific University
  • Piano Performance Major (2000), Los Angeles County High School for the Arts