SPRING 2026
A LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Friends of the Phil,
As our 57th season draws to a close, we find ourselves filled with gratitude for the extraordinary moments we have shared together. From the concert hall to classrooms across the region, this has been a season defined by connection, growth, and the transformative power of live music, and none of it would be possible without you.
Spring is a season of celebration, and this year we have much to celebrate. The programs and performances highlighted in these pages represent the best of what the Reno Phil strives to be, a welcoming, vibrant, and vital part of our community. They are a testament to what becomes possible when a community believes in the power of music.
Thank you for your continued generosity and for being such an essential part of our story. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and look forward to another remarkable season ahead.
With sincere appreciation,
Aaron Doty
President & CEO
PRESSING TRUTHS
GIVING A VOICE TO A FORGOTTEN STORY
This season, the Reno Philharmonic joined orchestras across the nation in marking America250 with something only we could offer: a world premiere.
Pressing Truths, a new orchestral work commissioned directly by the Reno Phil and composed by Michelle Isaac, debuted April 17–19, 2026, closing the first act of our final Classix concert of the 2025–2026 season. It was the kind of moment that reminds audiences why live music matters.
The story behind the music is one most Americans have never heard. Music Director Laura Jackson brought a specific vision to the commission: honor Mary Katharine Goddard, a printer and publisher who risked her safety and reputation to ensure the Declaration of Independence reached the people. Though she was the only woman whose name appears on the document and the first publisher to print the names of all its signatories, Goddard has been largely absent from the history books. Until now.
Before the first note, audiences were already inside the story. A video presentation exploring Goddard's story and Isaac's composing process, paired with program notes, brought the full context to life, grounding the experience in history and giving the music the weight it deserved. Jackson conducted the full orchestra alongside a soprano soloist, whose voice carried text drawn from both the Declaration and Goddard's own words, a dialogue across 250 years.
Isaac built the piece from the inside out, letting the mechanics of the printing press become the architecture of the music itself: polished passages breaking against jagged, inverted textures; snare drum brushes tracing the roll of ink on paper; Revolutionary-era rhythmic figures moving through the full ensemble like a current. The result was a work that didn't just describe history — it recreated the feeling of it.
When the lights came up for intermission, audiences weren't ready to leave. Pressing Truths sparked the kind of conversations about courage, citizenship, and whose stories get told that extend well beyond the concert hall.
This is what the Reno Phil does: we pair artistry with education to deepen our community's relationship with the ideas that define us. Pressing Truths is the latest chapter in that tradition, and a reminder that the American story still has voices waiting to be heard.
Music for Every Student
Highlights from Our Inaugural Music Education Festival
This May, the Reno Phil launched our inaugural Music Education Festival, a three-day celebration of our five programs that bring live music to more than 20,000 students across the region each year.
The festival opened with our Spring Young People's Concerts, welcoming nearly 5,000 students to the Pioneer Center for an unforgettable introduction to orchestral music. At the California Building, our Education Open House invited families and community members to hear from our Education Director and enjoy a live performance by our Discover Music Brasswind ensemble. Our RPYO Chamber Recital gave audiences a chance to witness the remarkable growth of our youth chamber musicians over the course of the season.
New this year, the first-ever Spring Family Concert offered a free, welcoming experience for families of all backgrounds to enjoy live music together. The festival closed on a high note with the RPYO Spring Showcase, where all four youth orchestras took the stage to share the musicality they've worked so hard to develop throughout the school year.
Twice the Music, Twice the Magic
This season, the Reno Phil doubled our Family Concert program, expanding from one fall performance to two concerts throughout the year. On May 9th, the first-ever Spring Family Concert welcomed nearly 600 people to the Pioneer Center for a morning of child-friendly music and activities with local community organizations.
What makes this program special is its intentionality. Designed as an introduction to the concert-going experience, these performances remove common barriers and create a welcoming environment where audiences of all ages feel comfortable participating — with traditional expectations around concert behavior thoughtfully relaxed to support young children and first-time attendees.
As our Education Director puts it: we welcome the wiggles here. And wiggle they did — families left the Pioneer Center buzzing with excitement, many experiencing live orchestral music for the very first time.
A Community United by Music
In April, the Reno Phil hosted our 5th annual Play & Sing For a Day, bringing together over 250 community members and professional musicians for a joyful day of collaborative music-making. After just a few hours of rehearsal, participants took the stage for a concert that drew nearly 500 audience members — a testament to the excitement this event generates in our community.
More than a single-day event, Play & Sing For a Day embodies the Reno Phil's commitment to intergenerational connection, lifelong learning, and the belief that music is for everyone. Now in its fifth year, this beloved program continues to bring together individuals across generations and experience levels, fostering meaningful connections and reinforcing music's role as a unifying force in our community.
Carmina Burana
Three Nights, One Unforgettable Experience
The Reno Phil closed our 2025-2026 Classix Season in spectacular fashion with one of classical music's most beloved works: Carmina Burana. Such is the power and popularity of this iconic piece that we expanded to three performances to meet the demand of our community. Nearly 3,000 people attended across the three nights, joining us for an unforgettable evening of music.
Carmina Burana was performed in full, brought to life by an extraordinary assembly of nearly 250 musicians — our orchestra, chorus, and children's chorus sharing the stage alongside three guest soloists. More than a decade since the Reno Phil last performed this masterwork, the production was a reminder of what makes live orchestral music so irreplaceable: the sheer scale, energy, and emotion that fills a room when that many talented musicians come together for a single, transcendent purpose.
Honoring a Legacy of Service
On April 19, 2026, the Reno Phil honored Deena Behnke with our first Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her many years of dedicated service to the organization as a member of the Board of Trustees. Deena's commitment has left a lasting mark on the Reno Phil community, and this recognition reflects the deep gratitude of everyone whose lives she has touched along the way.
