Pierre Rivard

Pierre is a writer, artist, and educator who was born and raised in a Francophone family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After moving east to study art history at the University of Ottawa, he became a certified teacher through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. For the last decade, Pierre has taught students, from kindergarten to grade 12, in a variety of arts organizations. He is currently the Family & School Programs Manager at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he shapes the music learning experience for young people. Kiwis Can't Play The Violin is the first book he has written and illustrated. The book, as well as the music by Emilie LeBel, were commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. It originally premiered as a string quartet (due to pandemic gathering-size restrictions) at the Toronto Zoo as part of the “Zoophony” digital concert in 2021. Pierre is amazed and delighted that the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra will be performing an all-new full orchestra version.