Passion-Resurrection
The Majesty of Bach & The Joy of Handel
Join us this Easter Week for a profoundly moving musical journey as the Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus present two of the most beloved masterworks in sacred music.
On Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00pm, we present the complete performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, selections from part 2 — a work of extraordinary emotional depth tracing the story of Christ’s betrayal, trial, and crucifixion with haunting beauty and dramatic power.
Guest tenor Matt Hidalgo performs the pivotal role of the Evangelist, guiding us through this powerful and intimate masterpiece.
Tuesday, March 31 – 7:00pm
Reno: St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral
For the April 4 and 5 concerts, the first half features a shortened version of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, followed by a triumphant turn toward joy and resurrection in the second half.
Selections from George Frederic Handel’s Messiah celebrate the promise of new life and redemption, including:
🎶 Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs
🎶 All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
🎶 Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together
🎺 The Trumpet Shall Sound
🎉 and the radiant Hallelujah Chorus
From solemn reflection to exultant praise, these timeless works create an unforgettable Easter experience — a sweeping musical meditation on sacrifice, renewal, and hope — brought to life by the Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.
Saturday, April 4 – 4:00pm
Minden: CVIC Hall
Easter Sunday, April 5 – 4:00pm
Reno: St. Rose of Lima
- Tickets at tahoe-philharmonic.com
$30–$50
Free admission for youth under 23 in general admission
Senior discounts available on all tickets
2025-2026 Schedule
Requiem 9/11 We Remember Concert in September 2025
Hallelujah! Messiah in December 2025
Go4BRRRoque in January 2026
Every Piece is a Classic in February 2026
St. Matthews Passion in April 2026
The Classics+ June 2026
Pops and Patriotic Songs in early July 2026
Nightz at Tahoe Opera in late July, 2026
Lineup subject to change.
2026 Season Performers
Kevin Matheson
KEVIN MATHESON guest violinist, was awarded first prize in the 2021 Charleston International Music Competition for his performance
of Vieuxtemps’ “Souvenirs d’Amérique.” Kevin recently recorded the first movement from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with
the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlin, Czech Republic for the Cicerone Music and Arts label.
Anne Davidson
ANNE DAVIDSON, soprano, started her solo singing career before she can remember under the direction of her mother Helen. She has studied voice with Bill Reed of Circle in the Square, New York City, and Patricia McGuinness of University of California, Santa Cruz. She was the soloist in Kim André Arnesen’s Magnificat with Vox Musica in 2022 under the direction of Daniel Paulson and the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Reno Pops Orchestra in 2019.
Annie is a recording singer-songwriter and performs solo and with her folk-rock band Raggedy in the Reno/Tahoe region. She is also a Senior Associate with EdMetric, a small education research firm, when she is not following her two daughters around.
Stuart Duke
STUART ALAN DUKE, baritone, earned his B.S. in Music Education at the University of Vermont in 1976, with a specialty in voice. He made his European debut in 1994 as a soloist at the Pitten International Music Festival in Austria and toured New England under the direction of Robert DeCormier, performing as The Loudspeaker, in Viktor Ullmann’s Holocaust Opera, The Emperor of Atlantis. He was a founding member and soloist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He received his Masters of Music at UNR in Vocal Performance. Local performances include Melchoir in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Don Alphonso in Cosi fan tutti, Baron Zeta in La Traviata, Reverend Olin Blitch in Floyd’s Susannah, and Mr. Gobenot in Menotti’s The Medium. His appearances with Nevada Opera include Fiorello in The Barber of Seville, & Yamadori in Madame Butterfly. He is a founding member of TahoePhil.
Anna Helwing
ANNA HELWING, soprano, was born and raised in Poland where she earned B.A. and M.A. in English and American Literature. She also studied piano and organ at the Wroclaw School of Organ. In 2008 she received her MA in vocal performance at Univ. Nevada, Reno, studying with with Dr. Katharine DeBoer. She performed solo concerts in Germany, Italy, and Poland, collaborating with international artists, including early music Swiss pan-flutist Philippe Emmanuel Haas. She regularly appears as a soloist with TAHOE PHILHARMONIC, Sierra Nevada College Choir, NorthStar Chamber Players, Opera Bel Canto of Reno, Nevada Opera, and organizers of Valhalla Arts Festival and San Francisco International Arts Festival. She resides in South Lake Tahoe, where she teaches piano and voice at Lake Tahoe Community College, and works as a church music director and organist. She conducted Tahoe Choir 2015-17
Debbie Sessions
Debbie Sessions, coloratura soprano began singing at a young age when she was cast in The Sound of Music as one of the von trap children. From there she studied Music and Art at Linfield College and sang in multiple choirs and light operas in the San Francisco bay area before coming to Reno in 2005. She has sung with Nevada Opera chorus, Reno Philharmonic chorus, and Toccata tahoe. She took a 13 year break from music to raise a family with 3 kids and a lot of pets. She is very glad to be back singing and now soloing with Tahoe Phil as well as managing marketing for the Phil and her own business, VintageDancer.com
Lorelei Van Peborgh
LORELEI VAN PEBORGH, mezzo, grew up in San Diego listening to classical music and attending operas and symphonic concerts. She learned to play the violin, piano and cello. In a Vermont high school she discovered her fourth instrument, the voice, and since then has thoroughly enjoyed singing in choirs. With a broad vocal range that allows her to transition between tenor, alto and soprano ranges. Her three children recognize her passion for singing as the "balm that feeds her soul". From 2011-2020 she was a soloist with Sierra Nevada College Community Choir, and is a regular soloist with North Tahoe Community Choir under the direction of Donna Axton.