“She led with authority…” 

“Alsop coordinated the many moving parts precisely from her podium command post, while both Jackson and Johnson acquitted themselves like the highly capable pros they are. The trio of ensembles clashed and finally merged brilliantly.”

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – Female conductors are in the spotlight. A music festival kicking off this weekend is celebrating those breaking barriers in a male-dominated field.

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Breaking Barriers, a festival at Ravinia will celebrate the program's 20 years and the women in it.

One of those fellows, Laura Jackson, is now music director for the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Reno Philharmonic received a standing ovation Saturday night in the middle of the show. It followed a beautiful song — and more importantly, a beautiful act of solidarity.

The Reno Phil performed the Ukrainian national anthem to honor the Eastern European country, which is fighting to preserve its democracy and independence from Russia.

"As women continue to gain traction as trailblazers within industries, women in niche markets like orchestra conductors are just beginning to break the glass ceilings. According to the most recent data available from the League of American Orchestras, only 14.6% of U.S orchestra conductors at all levels were women. Additionally, the organization’s 2022 Orchestra Repertoire Report found that works by women composers and composers of color (living and deceased) rose by four hundred percent.

Laura Jackson, music director for Reno Philharmonic, now in her 14th season, is paving a new direction for up-and-coming female conductors and composers through her artistry, leadership and creative community engagement. She conducted Symphony No. 3: Altered Landscape in May by renowned composer Jimmy López Bellido. An agreement was made that other orchestras who wanted to perform the piece bypass paying royalties. Instead, they are required to donate $1,000 to the Nature Conservancy, presenting a unique opportunity for orchestras to combat climate change. In addition, the piece itself directly engages with themes of climate and pandemic-induced isolation."

Reno Phil returns for first indoor, virtual concert

For seven months, the Reno Philharmonic has done everything it could to prove that the music didn't die during the ongoing pandemic.

With video postcards from home and with secret, pop-up concerts in parks and driveways, the Philharmonic made sure that they replaced nearly a dozen canceled concerts with some kind of sound.