Riverfolk director heads to new opportunity
Aileen Rohwer, who has served Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization in a variety of roles since 2012, has announced she will leave Manchester to become the new Director of Education and Engagement with the Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Vail, Co.
Aileen Rohwer, Director and cello faculty of Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization, has submitted her resignation to the organization as of January 24.
Rohwer has accepted a position with the Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Vail, Colorado as the Director of Education and Engagement. This opportunity will combine the need to support the development of young emerging performing artists, as well as engaging future audiences of classical music within a community that is also in need of an expansive music education program for underserved students.
“Since 2012, I have supported the mission of Riverfolk by launching Cultural Art Strings, Manchester Youth Orchestra Project, Blacksmith Shop Concerts, Riverfolk Community Orchestra, and most recently Passport to Manchester,” Rohwer wrote in her letter of resignation. “In addition, we have employed hundreds of local musicians and teachers for our programs.”
Asked about proud moments during her tenure with Riverfolk, Rohwer replied, “Gosh, there’s so many moments that make me proud of having served this community. One common thread that has remained throughout my time here is the apparent hunger for arts related programming and the dedication, perseverance and commitment of the board to make it happen.”
Rohwer remembers hearing about Riverfolk when she first moved to Manchester and really wanting to get to know Mark and Carol Palms.
“I sent an email to Mark to let him know I was a new resident and I wanted to know about Riverfolk. I was a bit nervous about reaching out but soon found out how incredibly welcoming both he and Carol were to our family. Riverfolk allowed me to develop new programming in the community that brought people together to experience different cultural offerings. Their mission aligned with my beliefs that music and arts would be the catalyst to tolerance and understanding of others, the diversity and culture of all of our people in this world.
“While I will miss the many connections, friendships, students, and culture of our organization, I am honored to have served the community of Manchester for the last 10 years. I am confident I leave the organization in a position that will allow it continued growth with the next leader and the robust support of the board and community.”
Moments that she will always remember from her time with Riverfolk include:
- Seeing a young CAS student perform for the very first time, having discovered their voice through a string instrument and working towards a goal to play for their community, seeing the smile on their face after they achieved their goal.
- Taking a group of CAS students to the Saline Memory Center and performing music that made the residents smile. Watching as one of the residents remembered that she played violin and then asked to join us. A nurse retrieved her violin, and she was able to perform a memorable Christmas song with us.
- Receiving a thank you after a Blacksmith Shop Concert featuring music that an attendee had never heard before, realizing that they didn’t even know about the artist or their culture, and sparking a curiosity to learn more.
- Collaborating with MAHS on Passport to Manchester, which allowed our community to investigate all the other cultures that existed on our lands, showcasing their music, art, and food. Seeing attendees so happy to experience something with neighbors and friends, while learning something new about our history.
- Launching the Live from Riverfolk Livestream series during the pandemic and seeing over $10,000 in donations come in, recording over 10,000 views from all over the world. Receiving comments about how much people loved being able to hear their favorite performers while being quarantined at home.
- Premiering the Riverfolk Community Orchestra, a group of local freelance musicians, collaborating with the Dexter Community Orchestra in May 2021 after pandemic restrictions were lifted for the first time. Employing over 40 musicians, the program featured Manchester resident, Alden Rohwer, who inspired the start of CAS because he was the only student violinist in town at the time. Nine years later, he was able to play on stage with many of his friends, neighbors and area musicians. Alden now attends the U of M, pursuing a double major in Music and Engineering.
The Riverfolk board has appointed Jacob Warren to serve as interim director while they conduct their search for a new director. Jacob got his start at CAS back in 2014 as a CAS fellow, and has gone on to be a part of the bass faculty. In 2019, Jacob was promoted to Strings Coordinator for the CAS.
Due to the rapid increase in COVID cases as well as the transition of leadership, the Riverfolk board has made the difficult decision to cancel the Blacksmith Shop series for January-May. Instead, they will focus on the director search as well as planning outdoor programming for May that will lead into the summertime Gazebo Concerts, CAS Summer Camp, and the possible return of Passport to Manchester.
“Thank you for the tremendous opportunity I have been afforded with Riverfolk Music and Arts,” Rohwer said in conclusion. “I will hold a special place in my heart for this community that allowed me to flourish and build skills in non-profit administration.”
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