Music Director
KELLY KUO
Photos by Jiyang Chen
The Reno Chamber Orchestra is pleased to announce that Kelly Kuo has extended his contract through the 26/27 season. Read Maestro Kuo's statement on his contract extension below:
"The beautiful collective that is the Reno Chamber Orchestra, the wonderful musicians, the high-quality artistic product, the management team, the invested public, has become a harmonious home that I adore. Our work together has been an incredible adventure in seeking for and finding new trajectories of purpose, programming, and community-building during challenging times. I passionately believe in our work and our future together and feel fortunate to be able to extend my artistic partnership in Reno for three more seasons. There is a special energy here as we enter RCO's 50th anniversary season that makes everything seem musically and artistically possible and I cannot wait to deepen my relationship with the musicians and the community."
Maestro Kelly Kuo's Bio
​
Praised by the Cincinnati Enquirer as “a leader of exceptional musical gifts, who has a clear technique on the podium and an impressive rapport with audiences,” Maestro Kelly Kuo brings a dynamic versatility and nuance to a diverse repertoire, which includes nearly 100 operas. Currently Music Director of the Reno Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Director and Conductor of Oregon Mozart Players and Associate Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to bold programming and creative initiatives.
Recent engagements have included productions with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Merola Opera Program, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Columbus, and the Brevard Music Center, and concerts with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Sunriver Music Festival, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Ballet Fantastique.
In 2008, Maestro Kuo became the first conductor of Asian descent to lead a performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, making his company debut with Porgy and Bess. He has since returned to lead the Chicago premiere of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird and performances featuring artists of the Ryan Opera Center. Upcoming engagements include a return to Opera Columbus, debuts with Minnesota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Idaho.
An Oregon native and recipient of a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistant Award for young conductors, Kuo continues to concertize as a keyboardist as the only pianist to have studied with two pupils of the Russian virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz.
Find Kelly at www.kellykuo.com