Grounded by brilliance and razor-sharp contrast, this program thrives on the tension between elegance and disruption. The Reno Phil will open the concert with a world premiere performance of a new work by University of Nevada, Reno graduate, Max Deger. Featuring Reno Phil Principal Oboe, Timothy Gocklin, Strauss’ Oboe Concerto is a lyrical jewel of the orchestral repertoire, shimmering with warmth, elegance, and singing lines that allow the oboe to speak with extraordinary expressive depth. Written in the final months of World War II, its serene, pastoral character and soaring melodies offer both intimacy and grace, creating a timeless dialogue between soloist and orchestra that feels effortless yet deeply heartfelt. The concert culminates with Stravinsky’s Petrushka, a masterwork of orchestral storytelling, where puppets come alive in a whirlwind of driving rhythms, vivid textures, and sudden bursts of humor and drama. It is music that leaps off the stage, with surprises at every turn, and immerses the listener in a world both mischievous and thrilling.