The intersection of art and music.

altered landscapes

In 2019, the Reno Phil commissioned an important new symphonic work from composer Jimmy López Bellido. Informed and inspired by the Nevada Museum of Art’s “Altered Landscape, Carol Franc Buck Collection” of photography, his “Symphony No. 3: Altered Landscape” engages themes of humanity’s accelerated consumption of the Earth’s resources, the pandemic-imposed pause we have withstood, and the quest for a future of harmony and sustainable balance on Earth.

Composed entirely in 2020, the Reno Phil performed the world premiere of the work on May 7, 2022, and continues to seek orchestral partners around the globe to perform the piece during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. Performances of “Altered Landscape” are intended to inspire audiences, build awareness, and act as a catalyst for important conversations between diverse groups and industries about how we humans utilize and deploy our planet’s finite resources. In addition, this project offers orchestras the opportunity to take tangible action against climate change through a partnership with the Nature Conservancy.

An accompanying art exhibit was displayed at the Nevada Museum of Art from April 16, 2022 until January 1, 2023. Jimmy López Bellido was invited by Laura Jackson to work with curators at the Nevada Museum of Art to select photographs from the Museum’s photography collection to inspire his brand new, Symphony. No. 3: Altered Landscape. The Carol Franc Buck Altered Landscape Photography Collection is the Nevada Museum of Art’s signature collection of photographs featuring more than 2,000 images reflecting changes to the natural and built environment. The exhibit displayed several of the photographs that inspired López in writing his piece, as well as recorded selections of the music played by the Reno Phil.

From left: Composer Jimmy López Bellido, Reno Phil Music Director Laura Jackson, and Nevada Museum of Art Executive Director David Walker.

Reno Phil Music Director Laura Jackson and Composer Jimmy López Bellido pose in front of the Reno arch.

The Reno Phil believes deeply in commissioning new music because the power of art is that it serves as a mirror. The voices of today’s artists, photographers, composers are the voices that create the opportunity us to reflect on our shared experiences and to think more deeply about how we live and relate to one another.

– Music Director & Conductor, Laura Jackson

The intersection of art and music

The making of Symphony No 3 Altered Landscape by Jimmy López Bellido.

NATURE CONSERVANCY & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

The legacy & impact of partnership

As both the new symphony and the original photographic collection both showcase the impact humans have had over the planet’s ecosystem and geology, in September, 2021 the Reno Phil and Nevada Museum of Art brought in The Nature Conservancy as a third partner. A special presentation took place at McCarran Ranch Preserve, where the Reno Phil presented a $1,000 check to the Nature Conservancy.

“I am delighted to be partnering with the Nature Conservancy on this project. The work they do preserving ecosystems and resources is vital to the wellbeing of all of us. We hope this collaboration will inspire conversations about sustainable living, build awareness of environmental challenges in our community, and actively support the mission of the Nature Conservancy,” said Reno Phil Music Director and Conductor Laura Jackson. “It’s one way Reno Phil can leverage live music to give back to the community we love.”

Thanks to tremendously generous donors, the commission was completely funded. Because of this and the importance of the work, the Reno Phil is not charging orchestras to be a member of this consortium— “Altered Landscape” is a gift to orchestras of the world.

In order to cover hard costs and “pay-it-forward,” participating orchestras will contribute a minimum of $1,000 to The Nature Conservancy. Consortium partners (as of August 2022) are: The Boise Phil and The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Additionally, the Reno Phil invited environmentally-minded community partners to present information at various concerts (both at the pre-concert talks, as well as at tables in the lobbies of the Pioneer). These included: Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, One Truckee River, Tahoe Rim Trail.

RENO PHIL PANEL SERIES

The Reno Phil has developed a series of panels around the project that will explore various topics that tie to movements of Altered Landscape, the newly commissioned symphony written by Jimmy López Bellido.

The first panel series took place Monday, February 7th and explored “The Great Acceleration,” which covers the time period from the 1950s to today. Conductor Laura Jackson provided some background on the project alongside composer, Jimmy López Bellido. Bill Fox of the Nevada Museum of Art added context from the photographic collection that inspired the commission, and Steph McAfee, Nevada State Climatologist and Catherine Magee, Director of Nevada Historical Society contributed academic angles to enhance the artistic perspectives. Chris Morrison moderated the discussion as panelists explored how rapid growth during this period has affected our region socially and economically. Listening clips from the new symphony were included.

Watch part one here.

Panel Discussion #2, Stillness, took place on March 14, 2022 and explored the second movement of the symphony. This movement depicts the months immediately following the World Health’s Organization’s declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, and explores the contrast between what was happening in the medical community, where things were extremely busy, and what was happening in venues and traditional gathering spaces, where things became quiet. Dr. Brandi Kindig shared her frontline medical experience, Dennyse Sewell contributed her perspective as Executive Director of the Pioneer Center, and Stephen Jacobs spoke from his background guiding people into stillness as a meditation teacher. Music Director Laura Jackson added insight about the newly composed symphony and the original photographic collection. The panel explored the difference between silence we seek and silence that finds us.

Watch part two here.

Panel Discussion #3, “Reckoning and Alignment,” explored the third and fourth movements of the symphony. These movements are an invitation to first reflect on the forced stillness of the second movement, and then step into a vision of hope for the future. This panel took place on Monday, April 11.

Watch part three here.

About the composer

An “undeniably exciting composer” (Opera News), with “a brilliant command of orchestral timbres and textures” (Dallas Morning News) and “a virtuoso mastery of the modern orchestra” (The New Yorker), López has created works performed by leading orchestras around the world and in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Musikverein, Konzerthaus Berlin, Nordic Music Days, the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, and the Aspen, Tanglewood, and Grant Park music festivals. “Fiesta!”, one of his most famous works, has received over a hundred performances worldwide making it one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works. “Bel Canto”, a full-length opera commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago as part of the Renée Fleming initiative and based on Ann Patchett’s bestselling novel, premiered in December 2015 to wide critical acclaim and was broadcast U.S. nationwide on PBS’ Great Performances. “Dreamers”, an oratorio which he wrote in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright Nilo Cruz, was premiered by Ana María Martínez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2019. That year also saw the release of Symphonic Canvas, his most recent album with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, on MSR Classics. Mr. López completed his three-year tenure as the Houston Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence in the spring of 2020. A native of Lima, he studied at the city’s National Conservatory of Music prior to graduating from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with a Master of Music degree. López completed his Ph.D. in Music at the University of California-Berkeley. He is published by Filarmonika Music Publishing.

Thank you to our sponsors

The Carol Franc Buck Foundation

Chris & Parky May

Charlotte & Dick McConnell

Sandy Raffealli

The Jane C. Raley Endowment Fund