Theodore Kuchar | Musicians | Board of Directors | Staff

Our Mission

The Reno Chamber Orchestra, Inc. inspires and fosters the appreciation of the broad repertoire written for the small orchestra primarily through fine performances for diverse audiences.

History

In 1974, Vahe Khochayan helped found the Reno Chamber Orchestra (RCO) with several musician colleagues. At first they performed sporadically whenever performance space and funding were available. In 1976, a group of interested citizens came forward to form the orchestra's first Board of Directors and Khochayan served as the group's Music Director and Conductor, a position he held until 2003. The organization continued to grow over the years, as did the Orchestra's reputation and the recognition it received from the community.

In 1984, Maestro Khochayan received the Governor's Award for Artistic Achievement. In 1990, the Reno Gazette-Journal's reviewer called the RCO "the most consistently professional and musically satisfying" of Reno's resident ensembles. At the end of the 1992-1993 season, the readers of the Reno Gazette-Journal voted the RCO Best Performing Arts Group in the paper's annual "Best of Reno" poll. Many performers of international fame have come to Reno to appear with the RCO, including Itzhak Perlman, Roger Wagner, Pepe and Angel Romero, Rachel Barton, and Leonard Nimoy.

The RCO has a variety of programs to meet the needs of its community, in particular its underserved and financially disadvantaged citizens. Over the last several years the RCO has presented free concerts as part of the annual Artown celebration. And for the last five years - with underwriting by local foundations and businesses - the RCO has given students vouchers to attend our season concerts free of charge (with an accompanying adult paying $15, the regular student ticket price). We distribute these vouchers through music teachers in Washoe and Storey County school districts, to Sierra Nevada Job Corps, the Big Brother/Big Sister organization, private and parochial schools, and home school students.

We have also expanded our outreach efforts to area senior citizens. The RCO has made discounted tickets available through the Senior Sunshine Fund for elderly Alzheimer's patients and residents from convalescent facilities. The University of Nevada, Reno's Sanford Center for Aging has recognized the RCO as a Sanford Senior Star, citing our "concerted effort to encourage seniors on restricted incomes to enjoy cultural performances."

A longtime goal of the RCO has been to foster the careers of aspiring young musicians, and in 1986, with the help of The Bretzlaff Foundation, the RCO created the College Concerto Competition. Open to students attending Nevada institutions of higher learning or Nevada residents who are studying out-of-state, the College Concerto Competition is the only one of its kind in Nevada. Each year the top three competitors are given substantial cash prizes to help offset the costs of their education and career development. The winner is also asked to perform as guest soloist with the RCO. Past participants have gone on to distinguished careers as soloists, orchestral musicians, and teachers.

In 2003 we welcomed Theodore Kuchar as the second conductor/music director in the history of the RCO. One of the most sought after and recorded conductors of his generation, Maestro Kuchar is music director of the Fresno Philharmonic and the Janacek Philharmonic (Czech Republic), and is Conductor Laureate for Life of the National Symphony of Ukraine. He has made over 90 highly-acclaimed compact disc recordings for the Brilliant Classics, Naxos, Marco Polo, and other labels.