“Leonard Matthew Neidhold lived a remarkable life,” writes Scott Faulkner, principal bassist of the Reno Philharmonic and Reno Chamber Orchestra, in Friday’s (4/13) Reno Gazette-Journal. Neidhold, a Reno-based trombone player, died on March 26 at age 58 from a stroke. “Quietly, musically, educationally, humorously, humbly and uncompromisingly, he touched countless lives. This was reflected at his April 4 memorial service when some 700 attendees packed the Billinghurst gymnasium, among them 130 fellow musicians performing in a mass brass ensemble, a big band, a chorus and a brass quintet…. Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1959, Leonard quickly became a musical legend in the state.… He went on to study music at the University of Alaska, University of North Texas and the University of Miami, where he received his master’s in jazz pedagogy…. At the time of his death, Leonard was the principal trombonist of the Reno Phil, the Reno Chamber Orchestra and the Great Basin Brass Quintet…. Leonard Neidhold was an educator par excellence. Over his career, he taught at Traner, Clayton and Billinghurst middle schools, as well as the University of Nevada, Reno. His ability to inspire, instruct and instill discipline in his students made him a hero to thousands of young people over the years.”
Posted April 17, 2018
