Sophia Rivera is an award-winning euphonium performer, educator, and advocate for expanding the instrument’s voice in solo and chamber music. Currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in euphonium performance at the University of Memphis, she has built a reputation as a soloist, earning first place in the Music Teachers National Association State Competition and the North Texas Low Brass Camp Solo Competition.

Sophia has been featured at major festivals and conferences, including the 2023 International Women’s Brass Conference in Denton, TX; the 2024 South Central Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference; and the 2024 College Music Society Southern Chapter Conference (both held in Memphis, TN). She has performed with ensembles such as Bluff City Winds, Grind City Brass, and the Bottom Line Tuba Euphonium Ensemble, where she has also stepped in as a guest conductor. Her performances have taken her across North America, with highlights including tours with Collège Jeanne-Sauvé in Cuba, and Market Street Brass in Canada and the southeastern United States.

Beyond performing, Sophia is passionate about teaching and mentorship. She teaches applied euphonium at the University of Memphis and has served as an adjudicator and clinician for competitions and festivals across the U.S. and Canada. A strong supporter of new music, she has led and contributed to multiple commissioning projects, collaborating with composers like Jasmine Pigott, Orion Overstreet, and Joshua Thomson to bring fresh, compelling works to the euphonium repertoire.

This season, Sophia has performed as a soloist and in a tuba-euphonium duo at the Music by Women Festival in Columbus, Mississippi. She is also preparing for several premieres of commissioned works and continues to seek out collaborations that challenge and inspire both herself and her audiences.

Sophia holds a Master of Music from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Music from Brandon University. She has studied with esteemed low brass pedagogues including Dr. David Childs and Dr. Nora Wilson, refining her artistry and deepening her commitment to showcasing the euphonium in new and meaningful ways.