THE CLASSIX SERIES
ELGAR CELLO CONCERTO
Saturday & Sunday
January 24 & 25, 2026
7:30 PM | Doors 6:00 PM
4:00 PM | Doors 2:30 PM
From the depths of longing to the heights of euphoria, the Reno Phil and guest conductor Nicholas Hersh embark on a stirring pursuit of peace, where every note seeks solace, strength, and triumph. The journey begins with Grażyna Bacewicz’s Overture, a dazzling burst of orchestral brilliance that crackles with energy. She broke new ground as she continued writing music while war threatened to destroy her country. Davidson Fellow Zlatomir Fung takes center stage for Elgar's Cello Concerto, a soul-baring masterpiece that speaks in whispers and echoes in eternity. The evening will come to a jubilant close with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, its relentless rhythms and soaring melodies sweeping us toward a finale that dances with unshakable joy.
ON THE PROGRAM
Grażyna Bacewicz Overture
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto op. 85 in E minor
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 op. 92 in A Major
NICHOLAS HERSH
CONDUCTOR
ZLATOMIR FUNG
CELLO
Single tickets for the 2025-2026 Season go on sale August 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM. For information on group rates, or other ticket discounts, please click here.
INTERESTED IN A PARTNERSHIP, SPONSORSHIP, OR UNDERWRITING OPPORTUNITY?
Contact Evelyn Klatt, Chief Development & Marketing Officer at eklatt@renophil.com
ZLATOMIR FUNG, CELLO
Cellist Zlatomir Fung made history as the youngest musician ever—and the first American in four decades—to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. Hailed for his virtuosity and sensitivity, the 25-year-old has earned acclaim worldwide and is recognized as a leading cellist of his generation.
In the 2024–2025 season, Fung performs recitals in New York City, Boston, and St. Louis, and presents the complete Bach Cello Suites in Massachusetts and California. He makes his Ravinia Festival debut, returns to the Aspen Music Festival, and appears as a soloist with orchestras including the Rochester Philharmonic, San Antonio Philharmonic, and Barcelona Symphony. Internationally, he tours Europe and Asia, including performances in London, France, Poland, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan with Jaap van Zweden.
January 2025 brings the release of Fung’s debut album on Signum Records, featuring opera fantasies and transcriptions, including his own adaptation of Janáček’s Jenůfa. A champion of contemporary music, he premiered Katherine Balch’s whisper concerto with the Dallas Symphony and BBC Philharmonic.
A past Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Fung has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and BBC Philharmonic, and performed at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and major festivals including Verbier and Aspen. He has won numerous top competitions and received an Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Of Bulgarian and Chinese heritage, Fung studied at The Juilliard School, where he now serves on the faculty. He performs on a 1735 Domenico Montagnana cello and the 1696 “Lord Aylesford” Stradivarius, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.
NICHOLAS HERSH, CONDUCTOR
American conductor Nicholas Hersh has earned critical acclaim for his innovative programming and natural ability to connect with musicians and audiences alike.
In the 2022-2023 season, Hersh debuts with the Utah, Colorado and Modesto symphonies, and The Florida Orchestra, and returns to the Baltimore, Houston and New Jersey symphony orchestras, and Rochester Philharmonic. Highlights of the prior season include engagements with the National (D.C.), Detroit, Grand Rapids, Portland (ME), and Tucson symphony orchestras, Louisiana Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, and symphonies of Richmond and Winston-Salem, and Peabody Opera. Other recent conducting appearances include the Phoenix Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and New World Symphony.
Over a remarkable tenure as Associate Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Hersh created the BSO Pulse series, through which he brought together indie bands and orchestral musicians in unique collaborations; he led the BSO in several subscription weeks, and concerts in and around Baltimore; and he directed the BSO’s educational and family programming, including the celebrated Academy for adult amateur musicians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hersh developed and conducted the BSO’s new digital concert series, BSO Sessions. Mixing performance with documentary-style interviews, Hersh introduced the BSO and online audiences to a wide variety of new repertoire, including numerous living composers as well as seldom-performed historical composers. “His commitment to performing works by composers of color,” described BSO leadership, “will continue to inform the BSO’s programming long into the future.”
Hersh also maintains a close relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, leading concerts throughout Washington, D.C. He stepped in to replace an indisposed Yan Pascal Tortelier, on subscription, to great acclaim.
Hersh is frequently in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with commissions from orchestras around the globe for adaptations of everything from classical solo and chamber music to popular songs. His orchestration of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata Op. 69 was premiered by the Philharmonie Zuidnederland in January 2022, while his symphonic arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody continues to see worldwide success as a viral YouTube hit. He also serves as arranger and editor for the James P. Johnson Orchestra Edition.
An avid educator, Hersh has embraced the Young Persons Concert format as a crucial method for orchestras to serve their communities. From 2016-2020, he served as Artistic Director of the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, and he continues to be a frequent collaborator and guest faculty at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.
Hersh grew up in Evanston, Illinois and started his musical training as a cellist. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Stanford University and a Master’s Degree in Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with David Effron and Arthur Fagen. In 2011 and 2012, he was a Conducting Fellow with the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, studying with mentors Robert Spano, Hugh Wolff, and Larry Rachleff, and has participated in masterclasses with Bernard Haitink and Michael Tilson Thomas. Hersh is also a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award.
Nicholas lives in Philadelphia with his wife Caitlin and their two cats, and in his free time enjoys baking (and eating) sourdough bread.
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*Not ready to attend in person? Purchase an access link for our livestream or video-on-demand (available 10/2) and enjoy the concert from the comfort of home!
How to View the Livestream Concert
One day before the concert, ticketholders will receive an email with a link to the video. We recommend you access the link at least 10 minutes before the concert begins. If you do not receive a link, please check your spam & junk folders before contacting the box office. Livestream FAQ & SUPPORT.
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Parking
Patrons have several options for parking near the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. We recommend the following:
Metered parking (pay Monday-Saturday 9am – 6pm; free evenings after 6pm and on Sundays)
The open parking lot across from the Washoe County Court House (free on evenings and weekends). The entrance is located on Court St, between Virginia and Sierra St.
The parking lot attached to Nevada State Bank (ONLY available free in the evenings and on weekends)
Directions
Directions from I-580 via Mill Street
Take exit 66 for Mill St.
-395 Northbound: exit 66 and turn left at Mill St.
-395 Southbound: exit 66 and turn right at Mill St.
Follow Mill St. about 1.5 miles
Turn left on Lake St.
Turn right on Court St.
The Pioneer Center will be on your right
Directions from I-80 via Virginia Street
Take exit 13 for Downtown Reno/Virginia St.
-I-80 Eastbound: exit 13 and turn right at N. Virginia St.
-I-80 Westbound: exit 13 and turn left at N. Virginia St.
Follow Virginia St. about 1 mile (cross the Truckee River).
The Pioneer Center will be on your left
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The Reno Phil’s community partners donate rooms for out of town musicians, food for events and many other needs. Without their generosity, we would not be able to provide the community with world-class, innovative music performances. We greatly appreciate their contribution to the performing arts, as well as helping keep the costs of concerts reasonable for our ticket buyers. If you’re coming from out of town and plan to stay in Reno after the concert, please consider reserving a room with one of our hotel partners.
We hear from our partners that enjoying a good meal makes our concerts sound better. You should test that theory and let us know! Please consider dining with one of these supporting restaurants before or after a concert. And say thanks for us, too.
Dining
Hotels