RENO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

925 Riverside Dr. Ste. 5 Reno, NV 89503

Assistant Conductor Fellowship

The Reno Chamber Orchestra was created in 1974 by a group of casino musicians who wished to have an outlet to play classical music.   It has a strong subscriber and patron base and offers the greater Reno Community five to six concerts a season and two Nevada Chamber Music Festivals per year.  Kelly Kuo was named its third Music Director in 2021.  The RCO is committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization and is implanting key strategies to address historical imbalances within the orchestral field.

The Fellow will participate in a two-year fellowship providing a challenging and professional work experience with the Reno Chamber Orchestra. They will participate in structured training and professional development while functioning as a member of the artistic team. The Fellow will gain invaluable work experience through a program that supports their learning and development.

The successful candidate must have demonstrated conducting experience and knowledge of orchestral repertoire along with a passion for classical music.  There also needs to be a strong commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity in the arts, command of the English language and the interest in expanding and building connections for the RCO within the Greater Reno community.

The Fellowship includes (for each of the two years):

• $1,500 fee for up to 6 subscription concert sets (5 days each)
• Up to $500 travel reimbursement for each of 5 subscription concert sets
• Local housing accommodations and travel provided.
• Reimbursement for purchases of scores related to each concert.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Serve as Assistant and Cover Conductor for the RCO’s Music Director and guest conductors.
2. Participate in learning and development activities including but not limited to monthly support meetings with Music Director and weekly staff meetings (virtual or in person as available).
3. Work with the RCO’s Executive Director to build and expand partnerships with the community during residency weeks, including school visits and mentorship.

ELIGIBILITY:

The RCO is an equal opportunity employer. The RCO does not offer visa sponsorship and can only consider candidates authorized to work in the United States.

REQUIREMENTS:

Conducting experience is required. Thorough in-depth knowledge of classical and popular repertoire along with formal conducting training. Some experience in artistic administration and production preferred. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to including and applying diverse backgrounds and perspectives to learning, scholarship, service, and civic leadership. The Fellow must be available to be in residence in Reno for at least 4 out of the 6 subscription sets in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 season.  Dates for the 2024-25 season are as follows:

October 2-6, 2024

November 6-10, 2024

February 5-9, 2025

February 26-March 2, 2025

April 2-6, 2025

May 14-18, 2025

Dates for the 2025-26 season are still to be determined.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Candidates should submit:

1. Cover letter confirming U.S. citizenship or permanent legal resident status.
2. Current resume.
3. Two contrasting video selections from performances and/or rehearsals within the last two years, submitted as online links. Combined videos should not exceed 10 minutes in length.
4. A two-minute video introducing yourself.
5. Contact information for three references.
6. Current availability for Reno Chamber Orchestra’s 2024-25 season dates. (Availability will not be a significant determining factor in choosing the Fellow.)

Application materials emailed to:

Kelly Kuo, Music Director

musicdirector@renochamberorchestra.org

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Please submit materials by Monday, March 1, 2024

AUDITION PROCESS:

Up to 6 semi-finalists will be invited for a zoom interview with members of the search committee during the week of April 8-12, 2024.  Semi-finalists will be notified by Friday, March 29, 2024.

Up to three finalists will be invited to travel to Reno on May 15-17, 2024, for additional interviews and to conduct the Reno Chamber Orchestra during a rehearsal on Thursday, May 16, 2024.  Finalists will be notified by Friday, April 19, 2024.  The selected Fellow will be announced on or around May 24, 2024.  Finalists not chosen for the fellowship may be invited to serve as Assistant Conductor for certain concerts should the Fellow not be available.

The Reno Chamber Orchestra provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

REQUIREMENTS:

Conducting experience is required. Thorough in-depth knowledge of classical and popular repertoire along with formal conducting training. Some experience in artistic administration and production preferred. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to including and applying diverse backgrounds and perspectives to learning, scholarship, service, and civic leadership. The Fellow must be available to be in residence in Reno for at least 4 out of the 6 subscription sets in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 season.  Dates for the 2024-25 season are as follows:

October 2-6, 2024

November 6-10, 2024

February 5-9, 2025

February 26-March 2, 2025

April 2-6, 2025

May 14-18, 2025

Dates for the 2025-26 season are still to be determined.

About The Reno Chamber Orchestra

The Reno Chamber Orchestra (RCO) came into being in 1974 as a collaboration between founding Music Director and Conductor Emeritus Vahe Khochayan and a group of musician colleagues playing in casino showroom orchestras. Their shared desire to perform classical music led to the Orchestra’s formation under its first Board of Directors in 1976. Audiences have grown substantially over the years, leading the annual events to expand to ten performances of chamber orchestra concerts, multiple smaller chamber events, and since 2004, the nationally-known Nevada Chamber Music Festival (NCMF). Some of the world’s most famous performers have appeared with the RCO, including Leonard Nimoy, Itzhak Perlman, and Pepe and Angel Romero. The RCO has been named one of the Best of Reno and Best Performing Arts Group, and five RCO musicians have received the prestigious Governor’s Award for Artistic Achievement. Maestro Theodore Kuchar – the RCO’s second Music Director and founder of the Nevada Chamber Music Festival (NCMF) – departed the organization in the spring of 2018. A Search Committee of longtime musicians, board, and community members was formed to review almost 150 applicants. The first e...ver dedicated NCMF Artistic Director, Clive Greensmith, was selected and began leading the festival in January 2019. After six finalist conductors appeared with the RCO from 2019-2021, the orchestra announced Kelly Kuo as its third Music Director in almost fifty years.

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