On Saturday, June 1, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School (RI Phil) board named German conductor Ruth Reinhardt, the orchestra's new music director.
Reinhardt has been appointed the music director to be effective at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season.
Reinhardt will be the sixth music director in the organization's 80-year history. This is her first music director position.
Principal Conductor Robert Spano will remain in his current position until the 2024-2025 season before becoming Principal Guest Conductor.
She has already guest conducted in Europe and the US, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Seattle. She recently led her first staged opera, a production of La Traviata, for the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm
"We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ruth Reinhardt as our next Music Director," RI Phil Board Chair Susan Chung said.
This coming season, Reinhardt will conduct the Orchestra's TACO and The White Family Foundation Classical Series Concert on Saturday, November 9. The program will include works by Dvořák, Hindemith, and Mendelssohn.
Reinhardt said she was tremendously honored to join the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School as music director. She shared that from their first encounters, she has been impressed and inspired by the musicians and their ability to bring tremendous energy and musical precision to whatever they play.
Furthermore, she continued to look forward to working with young musicians through the Music School and has been impressed by the quality and commitment of the faculty and students.
