CLASSICAL TAHOE

Classical Tahoe is striving to become a world-class celebration of the arts whose mission is to inspire the cultural, educational & community vitality of Lake Tahoe.

The Classical Tahoe Festival and Music Institute is held each summer in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The four-week festival features fourteen classical music concerts in July and August, with three jazz concerts, and fifty multigenerational education and engagement programs throughout the festival.

Maestro Joel Revzen, an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, is the founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. Laura Hamilton, Co-Concertmaster of the MET Opera Orchestra, is the Concertmaster and Personnel Manager of the Classical Tahoe Orchestra.Classical Tahoe is gaining an international reputation for its concert programming including several world premieres. Guest soloists have included Federica von Stade, Jamie Laredo, Chris Brubeck, Branford Marsalis, among others.

The Festival takes place on the campus of Sierra Nevada College in an intimate 400-seat “pop-up” concert pavilion.

The Classical Tahoe Music Institute was launched in 2018, offering 50 multi-generational music education and appreciation programs throughout the festival.

Classical Tahoe’s administrative structure follows the League of American Orchestra's recommended organizational chart for mid-size orchestras.

Board Responsibility
There are nineteen directors on the board of Classical Tahoe. The board meets four times a year with five committees who meeting regularly to move forward the governance work of the organization. The Board of Directors oversees the work of the Executive and Artistic Directors. The board is focused on planning and oversight, resource development, and ensuring the longevity of the organization.

Leadership Team
The board and senior staff develop the organization's short- and long-term plans to support the mission. The staff prepares the budget and business plan. The board approves the annual budget and ensures the resources are available to execute the plan.

Staff Responsibilities
The artistic direction of the festival is developed and executed by Joel Revzen. Maestro Revzen has more than 50 years of artistic leadership experience. He oversees the artistic staff including the Music Librarian, Orchestra Personnel Manager, Concertmaster and Orchestra Musicians, and Production Manager to ensure that all artistic elements are property planned and communicated to the staff.

The primary decision maker for the festival is Karen Craig who joined Classical Tahoe as the Executive Director in 2016. Karen Craig has more than 30 years of experience in arts administration. She is responsible for the management of all human and financial resources needed to achieve the organization's mission. She is accountable for all aspects of the organization and for implementing the policies set by the Board of Directors.

Advisory Board / Volunteer Responsibilities
Classical Tahoe has seven cultural, educational, and organizational experts on our Advisory Board including David Gockley, retired general director of the San Francisco Opera (2006 to 2016) and Houston Grand Opera (1972 to 2005)

Joseph Kalichstein, Concert Pianist

Janet Napolitano, President, University of California

Mary Schroeder, Senior Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Frederica von Stade, Opera Singer (M

In seven short years, Classical Tahoe is becoming a summer destination for lovers of Classical Music.

- Enlarge our from 40 musicians to a 55-member orchestra to be able to play a more extensive repertoire and added jazz concerts to the festival for new diversity. Classical Tahoe is gaining an international reputation for our repertoire including several world premieres and our guest soloists who have included Federica von Stade, Jamie Laredo, Joseph Kalichstein, and Chris Brubeck. Released our first CD marking the highlights of Season's 1-5. These recordings have been aired more than a dozen times on Performance Today, the most-listened-to​ daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listeners on 237 stations

- CT purchased a new concert Pavilion that has fifteen tiered rows of luxury seats providing excellent sightlines and proximity to the stage. No seat is further than 50 feet from the orchestra. It is a thrilling experience to hear an orchestra of this remarkable caliber in the intimate 400-seat concert pavilion, performing repertoire most often heard in a larger hall. The audience feels as if they are on-stage with the musicians.

Our most transformative action was to launch the Classical Tahoe Music Institute to deepen Classical Tahoe’s relationship and value in the community. The Classical Tahoe Music Institute, inaugurated in 2018, offers multi-generational programs for music education and appreciation including a Collegiate String Quartet Apprenticeship; partnerships with the Reno Pops Orchestra for a Community Orchestra and Sierra Nevada College for a Community Chorus; Young Musician’s Piano Concerto Competition; Musikgarden for families; Music and Movement camp for K-6; a free Family Orchestra Concert and Music Maker’s Faire; High School Jazz Workshop with International Jazz Masters; Honor Student Usher Program; free open rehearsals; “Inside Look” conversations with the Maestro; live program annotation for every concert; an on-stage business coaching session taught side-by-side with musicians; music therapy with The Note-Ables for trauma survivors; free master instruction for talented young orchestra musicians; pop-up concerts on the trail, at the beach, and in the ice cream store.

2016-2017-2018: KEY RESULTS

2,890-3,222-4,065: Total annual audience members
102-131-158: Total number of renewed concert subscriptions
10 -12-15: Total number of performances
1- 3 - 5: Total number of free performances given
0-35-85: Total number of students participating in private lessons
0 - 1 - 2: Number of works commissioned []
1-4-7: Number of pre-recorded concerts in a national broadcast