In addition to his teaching work at NEC, Mr. Rivera has taught piano at The Rivers School Conservatory since 1977, where he is also Director Emeritus and founder of the Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young. His performances include work with The Boston Pops, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Tanglewood Music Festival, and he has been honored with fellowships at Tanglewood and Castle Hill. He has also taught masterclasses throughout the United States and served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), and other granting organizations.

Mr. Rivera is the author of To Music and Children with Love: Reflections for Parents & Teachers. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory and studied with pianists J.M. Sanroma, Fernando Valenti, Mikos Schwalb, Howard Goding, Felix Wolfes and John Moriarty.