Alum Makes Orchestra Debut

On February 10, Ruth Reinhardt (MM ’15, orchestral conducting), music director designate of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, will make her debut leading the Juilliard Orchestra. 

Conducting student Valentina Paolucci spoke with Reinhardt about her time at Juilliard, her advice on entering the professional world, and her thoughts on the future of classical music.

By Valentina Paolucci

How was your time at Juilliard?
I had an amazing time, particularly because of my conducting class. We had a tight-knit group, and we were always supporting each other. My teacher, Alan Gilbert (Pre-College ’85, violin; MM ’94, orchestral conducting; faculty 2009–18), was the best in every way. He was extremely demanding but always believed in me. He was always throwing so much music at us. It was an intense time, but I grew so much. When the school gave us the responsibility of handling preparatory rehearsals before a guest conductor arrived, it felt great to have that vote of confidence.

Another important element is the people. A lot of my good friends now are people I met at Juilliard. We really bonded through our shared mindset of trying to achieve excellence. Before Juilliard, I’d felt I was the only one at school practicing and studying late, but at Juilliard, a whole group would be leaving the building at 11pm. Plus, it was amazing to have access to so many guest conductors coming through Juilliard and the New York Philharmonic.

You mentioned your time here was intense, and I’m sure all of us conductors and other students feel that way! Do you have any advice on how to stay focused when you’re working on so much music?
It’s always good to remind yourself to focus on the most essential works. For instance, if you’re learning several scores at once, you may not have time to do a complete harmonic analysis or deep theoretical study of each piece. You can always return to that part of the score study when the piece is programmed again. Really prioritize and figure out what is the most important piece that you absolutely must know at that moment. When you do that for two years and you learn those tools, you understand how to learn music more quickly.

What was it like transitioning to the professional world?
We shouldn’t fool ourselves—for almost anybody, that transition is scary. You don’t know what’s coming, you’re applying to lots of different positions, sometimes you advance, sometimes you don’t, and it’s a time of great insecurity. But it always works out, and that’s what you should focus on.

How did you get into conducting?
Kind of by accident. I love music in every way. I played violin in chamber music, orchestra, contemporary music ensembles, sang in the children’s choir, composed, and played oboe. In whatever orchestral work I was playing, I always wanted to know more than just my part. I was always fascinated and curious to understand how a piece was made—how a composer like Brahms, for instance, creates these moments that feel so incredible. So, when my youth orchestra conductor asked if anyone wanted to conduct, I volunteered. I prepared, and when I conducted, it was clear that this was what I had to try to do.

What do you hope for the future of classical music?
I would love for everybody to have access to an excellent music education and the possibility of realizing what music can do for them and for their life.

It’s such an inspiration having you come back to lead the Juilliard Orchestra. What are you looking forward to most?
Making great music! Brahms Symphony No. 1 is such an amazing piece—there’s so much storytelling in it with his relationship with Clara Schumann. I think Martinů is an underrated composer, and I really like his music. And of course, Unsuk Chin is a great living composer.

Valentina Paolucci is a second-year master’s conducting student