Musician Bios
Ruth Lenz
Ruth Lenz is concertmaster of the Reno Chamber Orchestra and the Reno Philharmonic. She performs as recitalist, chamber musician, soloist and concertmaster in venues throughout the United States.
She has shared the stage with such notable performers as Itzhak Perlman, Edgar Meyer, Luciano Pavarotti and Natalie Cole. In addition to the Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Ruth has participated in the Telluride Chamber Music Festival, CO; Kammermusiktage (Germany); Mayshad Festival (Morocco); La Musica, FL; Sunriver, OR; Classical Tahoe, NV; Festival Napa, CA; and Spoleto Festival USA, SC.
Ruth began her violin studies with her mother at age 2, earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno studying with Phillip Ruder, and her Doctorate from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana where she studied with Sherban Lupu and Danwen Jiang.
In addition to performing, Dr. Lenz has a passion for teaching and maintains a large studio of violin and chamber music students. In her free time, she is an avid equestrian and outdoor enthusiast. Ruth Lenz plays a Simone Fernando Sacconi violin.
Dustin Budish
A native of Reno, Nevada, Dustin Budish studied at Oberlin College and the Cleveland Institute of Music with Jeffrey Irvine where he received his BM in Viola Performance and then received his MM with honors at the New England Conservatory with Martha Katz. While in college, he worked with and performed alongside members of the Cavani, Tokyo, Vermeer, and Cleveland Quartets and received the Russell Award at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition in 2001. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Ravinia, Norfolk, and Cactus Pear festivals and at the Nevada Chamber Music Festival. As a member of the Verbier Festival, Mr. Budish traveled across the globe for performances in Europe, Asia, and India and was invited to Israel to perform with Maxim Vengerov’s Mozart Project with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra.
As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, he performed in Carnegie Hall with Michael Tilson Thomas and Yo-Yo Ma and later was featured as soloist with the orchestra as a winner of the concerto competition under Maestro Alasdair Neale’s direction. Also, while in Miami, he served as the founding artistic director for the “Friends” of New World, where he catered custom innovative fusions of classical music with hip-hop, electronica, reggae, and funk for private events.
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Mr. Budish is the Principal Viola of the Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Chamber Orchestra. In 2015 he was a featured soloist with the Reno Philharmonic where he performed the Walton Viola Concerto. He has also frequently substituted with the San Francisco Symphony and was a Sun Valley Summer Symphony member for ten years.
Dustin has been on the faculty of UNR for the last 5 years teaching viola and playing with the Argenta Trio and has a passion for nurturing the next generations of young musicians and has mentored many young violinists and violists in the Reno area, many of whom have received numerous awards and honors. He is also the conductor for the Reno Youth Concert Orchestra and regularly programs fun and challenging repertoire ranging from Bach to The Legend of Zelda video game music.
Scott Faulkner
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Scott Faulkner is the principal double bassist of the Reno Phil and Reno Chamber Orchestra. From 2001 to 2015, he was Executive Director of the Reno Chamber Orchestra.
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Faulkner is also the director of the League of American Orchestra’s Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar, and was recently named director of its League Alumni Network. He regularly consults with orchestras and arts groups, and mentors young administrators, across the country.
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He is the founding board president of Project: Music Heals Us, a non-profit that brings music of the highest caliber to diverse audiences, focusing on elderly, homeless, hospitalized, and incarcerated populations, and sits on the advisory board of Note-Able Music Therapy Services.
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As a musician, Faulkner performs around the country, and has shared the stage with the likes of The Captain and Tennille, Evanescence, Edgar Meyer, Leonard Nimoy, Luciano Pavarotti, Itzhak Perlman, Martha Reeves, Joe Williams, and Yes.
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Before turning to orchestra management, he taught Double Bass, Jazz Survey, Music Appreciation, Music Fundamentals, and World Music at the University of Nevada. He authored the entry on Reno for the Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd edition.
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Hailing from Coeur d’Alene Idaho, Faulkner holds a bachelor of music degree from Pacific Lutheran University and a master of music degree from the University of Nevada. He has a 5,000-piece recording collection, is a founding member of the Single Malt Scotch Tasters of Reno, has played basketball with Wynton Marsalis, walked Coast to Coast across England, enjoys running weakly weekly with friends in the hills above Reno, is a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, and once auditioned for David Letterman’s “Stupid Human Tricks.” He is married to Nevada musical legend Andrea Lenz and has four adult stepdaughters and three grandchildren
Peter Lenz
A native of Reno, Nevada, Peter Lenz began his musical studies at the age of 6 with a course in piano performance and musical notation. The cello became Peter’s primary instrument at the age of 10. Peter studied with Geoff Rutkowski, Louis Richmond, Bill Konney, and his brother, John Lenz, through college and graduate school.
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Peter began his professional music career at the age of 13, when he became a member of the cello section of the Nevada Opera Orchestra. He joined the Reno Chamber Orchestra in 1976, and became principal cellist in 1983. He also was awarded the principal cello position with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra in 1982. In addition, Peter has performed as principal cellist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and as a soloist with the Reno Chamber Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic and other regional orchestras.
Hailing from an extensive family of musicians, Peter frequently performs as a chamber musician in public and private with family members and others. He has performed chamber music with violinists Bella Hristova, James Buswell, and Phillip Ruder, violists Molly Carr and Dustin Budish, cellist Wendy Warner, and pianist James Winn. In his lengthy orchestral career, Peter has shared the stage with Leonard Nimoy, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Neil Sedaka, Loretta Lynn, The Captain and Tennille, Dean Martin, Edgar Meyer, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Luciano Pavarotti, and Itzhak Perlman.
Peter performs on a Simone Fernando Sacconi cello.
In addition to his pursuit of music, Peter holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mining Engineering from the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada – Reno, and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Nevada. He is a senior research scientist with EP Minerals.
John Lenz
John Lenz, virtuoso performer on both cello and horn, is both soloist and regular member of a number of regional orchestras, playing both instruments as Principal.
Lenz has been principal Cellist with the Telluride Chamber Players, the Nevada Opera, and the Argenta Quartet. He is the Reno Chamber Orchestra’s Principal Hornist, and serves in that position with the Reno Philharmonic, and the Great Basin Brass as well.
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Lenz holds a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and has been a professor of music at UNR.
Adele Balcarek
Senior Division Winner
2024 Vahe Khochayan Youth Artist Concerto Competition Winner
Adele Zoe Balcarek is a senior at TMCC Magnet High School, and just graduated from Truckee Meadows Community College with an Associate of Arts degree.
She began her violin studies at age five and is currently studying under the instruction of Professor Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio. At age nine, Adele joined the Reno Phil Youth Orchestras and had the honor to hold principal positions across all the orchestras over the past nine years. Under the leadership of Dr. Jason Altieri, she led the YSO as concertmaster on tour to Washington D.C., performing at the Kennedy Center. Adele was also the concertmaster of the 2024 Nevada All-State Orchestra. She is the Senior Division Winner of the 2024 Reno Chamber Orchestra Vahe Khochayan Young Artist Competition and a four-time RPYO Concerto Competition laureate, as well as the Grand Prize Winner in 2022.
Adele is the First Place Winner of the 2023 District 5190 Rotary Music Contest and a three-time laureate of the Reno Pops Orchestra Concerto Festival. She has been an RCO subscriber from an early age and had the privilege to be featured alongside Concertmaster Emeritus Phillip Ruder during the RCO’s 40th anniversary season campaign.
Adele is extremely grateful to all the amazing people in her life, all her teachers and mentors, friends, and her parents, especially her maminka, who support her endlessly and make all this possible.
Juliette Leong
Junior Division Winner
2024 Vahe Khochayan Youth Artist Concerto Competition Winner
Juliette Leong is a 7-year-old Davidson Young Scholar who is enrolled in college courses. Juliette is a top prize winner of 17 international competitions, including 1st Place at the 2024 Vahe Khochayan Young Artist Competition, 1st Place at the 2023 and 2024 Reno Pops Solo & Orchestra Concerto Festival. At 5 years old, Juliette was the youngest violin soloist to perform at Carnegie Hall. At 6 years old, Juliette became the youngest member and soloist of the Reno Philharmonic YSS, conducted by Laurentiu Norocel. Juliette is currently the youngest member of the Reno Philharmonic YSO, conducted by Dr. Jason Altieri. Juliette currently studies with Dr. Ruth Lenz. At 7 years old, Juliette made her orchestral debut with the Susanville Symphony. She will be making her debut with the Reno Chamber Orchestra in May 2024.
Juliette is also an internationally acclaimed artist and the youngest illustrator for Mensa Magazine. She has won 10 international art competitions and recently won 1st place at the SJSU 2024 International Art Contest. Juliette's paintings have been featured on the covers of four national magazines. She has donated over $150,000 to non-profits from the proceeds from sales of her paintings. Juliette’s efforts have been recognized by ABC News, NBC News, FOX News, Rachael Ray Show, and news stations all over the world. Recently, she was featured on the cover and cover story of Sierra View Magazine March 2024!
Juliette was the research subject of the documentary series, “Exploring Genius”. She is also a mathlete—named as a national champion of Continental Math League, and a gold medalist of Math Olympiads. Juliette also enjoys playing the piano, guitar, ukulele and she sings the National Anthem for MLBs.
As a Davidson Ambassador, Juliette founded Kids Teach U(university), a platform where kids become teachers! Julietteleong.com