The Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) will perform Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder November 11 and 12 at the Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company. These performances celebrate and are a tribute to long time RJO mentor Jim Kidder. In fact, it was Kidder's idea to produce Such Sweet Thunder. . .
Kick off your holiday season with jazz orchestra arrangements of sacred and secular favorites featuring the musicians of the Reno Jazz Orchestra and Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra.
Join us in searching for our next music director.
The Music Director Search Series is a four-concert showcase of the prospective choices for the orchestra's next music director. Each concert will feature a different conductor.
We are thrilled to announce that we are rolling out RJO's sixth CD for purchase at our summer concerts! And, we send a heartfelt thank you to Mike Eardley of Tanglewood Productions for his creative mixing, editing and mastering of the original music by members of the RJO.
Can't wait for the CD?
The RJO provides a Saturday workshop for students in Northern Nevada who would like to work on improvisation, jazz theory, ear training, and small group performance. Currently taught by Dylan Coleman-Tunstall and guest instructors, this 9-week program helps students improve playing by ear in a small group setting. The sessions are geared towards students with limited experience in either middle or high school.
Fourth quarter, 2022, was an exciting time for the RJO, as we merged the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra into our organization.
RYJO is the vehicle for big band jazz ensemble experience for local middle and high school musicians. The orchestra performs throughout the Northern Nevada and Northern California area, offering, on average, twelve performances during their nine-month season.
The orchestra was established in 2006, co-founded by Vernon Scarbrough and Karen Scarbrough. Vernon continues to be the Orchestra's Music Director, and Karen, the Director of Programs and Development.
Be sure to save the dates for this year's performance schedule. These young musicians are talented and dedicated; their music is awesome.
As a Legacy Society member, your passion, support, and dedication to our organization and fans worldwide will be forever treasured. With your commitment to create your personal legacy for the Reno Jazz Orchestra, you will sustain that extraordinary legacy of music and education that we are honored to share with our fans and community as well.
The RJO concluded this year's Jazz in the Schools program with an online concert featuring RJO trumpeter Julien Knowles with his quartet performing original compositions. The group played thirty minutes, then broke to answer questions from the participating students, and then the Quartet finished with another thirty-minute performance.
Our mission is to build a greater appreciation of jazz in Northern Nevada by providing outstanding big band performances, promoting the artistry of Reno Jazz Orchestra musicians through a variety of ensembles, and supporting jazz education through a mentorship program in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. All combined, we contribute to the vibrancy, diversity, cultural vitality, and quality of our community’s artistic life.
Stay in touch with the RJO by joining the RJO Fan Club. All we need is your name and your email address. We'll keep you informed about upcoming performances, events, and our plans for the future. We promise, we won't give your info to anyone outside our organization, and we won't fill your in-box with countless emails, but we will remind you of great music you won't want to miss.
