Explore the wonder of the universe through music at our Music & Space Festival, sponsored by the George W. Gillemot Foundation and the Bean Space Foundation. This festival brings together powerful symphonic performances, community experiences, and cosmic curiosity. Anchored by three extraordinary concerts, the festival features a constellation of events and activities designed to spark discovery for audiences of all ages.
Space ART CONTEST
MARCH 22, 2027 | Gallery Showing
McKinley Arts & Culture
Application opens December 1, 2026.
Applications close February 15, 2027
STORIES FROM THE STARS
MARCH 8, 2027
Explore the final frontier through fiction at our space-themed book club. Each gathering dives into a compelling work of space literature—from gripping survival stories like The Martian to imaginative visions of humanity beyond Earth—followed by conversation, connection, and a chance to see the universe from a new perspective.
Book Club will meet April 15, 2027 – Location TBA
TRIVIA NIGHT | DARK SKIES
MARCH 10, 2027
Pigeon Head Brewery
Test your knowledge under the stars at Pigeon Head Brewery. This dark skies–themed trivia night brings together great beer, big questions, and a celebration of Nevada’s wild places, in partnership with Friends of Nevada Wilderness. Gather your team, raise a glass, and see how much you really know about the night sky.
THE PLANETS
MARCH 20 & 21, 2027
Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts
Surging with electricity, myth, and raw orchestral power, this concert is part one of the Reno Phil’s Gillemot Foundation Music & Space Festival.
Art Bite with Nevada
Museum of Art
MARCH 26, 2027
Nevada Museum of Art
Star Gazing with Nevada Dark Skies and Travel Nevada
MARCH 27, 2027
Nevada Museum of Art
Led by Astronaut Loren Acton
Starlight Concert at the Planetarium
APRIL 2, 2027
Fleischmann Planetarium
Experience chamber music like never before. Four Reno Phil musicians perform beneath the stars inside the newly remodeled Fleischmann Planetarium dome, where space-themed music and immersive visuals create an intimate journey through the cosmos. With seating extremely limited, Starlight Concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear the Reno Phil up close, surrounded by the wonder of the universe.
Noteables Music Therapy Services “Space & Music Story Time”
APRIL 3, 2027
Space Panel at the University of Nevada, Reno
APRIL 7, 2027
University of Nevada, Reno Campus
Starlight Concert at the Planetarium
APRIL 9, 2027
Fleischmann Planetarium
Experience chamber music like never before. Four Reno Phil musicians perform beneath the stars inside the newly remodeled Fleischmann Planetarium dome, where space-themed music and immersive visuals create an intimate journey through the cosmos. With seating extremely limited, Starlight Concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear the Reno Phil up close, surrounded by the wonder of the universe.
Ask an Astronaut Day
FREE EVENT
APRIL 10, 2027
McKinley Arts & Culture Center
Blast off for a day of discovery, music, and adventure with astronaut Loren Acton, payload specialist aboard the Challenger mission. Ask questions, hear firsthand stories from space, enjoy live music, meet community partners, and explore hands-on activities for kids. With food trucks and fun for the whole family, Ask an Astronaut Day brings the wonder of space exploration down to Earth.
PLAY & SING FOR A DAY
APRIL 18, 2027 | 2 PM
Billinghurst Middle School
Play and Sing for a Day is a creative outlet for musicians of all levels and ages in our community. Through small and large group rehearsals, people will get a chance to interact, connect, and experience a day of making music together with Reno Phil musicians and chorus conducted by Laura Jackson.
Trivia Night | THE MOON & STARS
APRIL 21, 2027
Pigeon Head Brewery
How well do you know the moon, the stars, and the galaxy far, far away? Put your knowledge to the test with trivia inspired by Amanda Lee Falkenberg’s The Moon Symphony and John Williams’ iconic Star Wars scores. From lunar science to legendary soundtracks, gather your crew and compete for cosmic bragging rights.
CLASSIX CONVERSATIONS
The intersection of science & music
APRIL 22, 2027 | 10:30 AM
McKinley Arts & Culture Center – Auditorium
What happens when planetary science becomes the inspiration for orchestral music? Composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg’s The Moons Symphony transforms decades of space exploration and scientific discovery into a cinematic musical journey through the outer solar system. In this lecture, Falkenberg will explore the fascinating process behind the work—from her initial inspiration and collaboration with NASA planetary scientists and astronauts to translating real scientific phenomena into musical storytelling. Discover how science, music, art, and imagination intersect to create a new way of experiencing the cosmos—and the extraordinary journey that brings The Moons Symphony to Reno for its world premiere.
The Music of Star Wars
APRIL 24 & 25, 2027
Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts
Part II of the Gillemot Foundation Music & Space Festival, this Classix season finale launches you into the cosmos with Amanda Lee Falkenberg’s The Moons Symphony and iconic selections from Star Wars™ that have defined generations. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Reno Phil Chorus adds monumental vocal power to an evening of scale, imagination, and spectacle.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
