Reilly Bova | Music Director

Born and raised in the vibrant musical city of Philadelphia, Reilly Bova’s journey to the podium began with a fascination for the timpani — the great kettledrums that boom from the back of the orchestra. Through his initial musical studies as a percussionist, Reilly honed his skills in the art of rhythm and precision, and he spent many hours sitting at the back of orchestras watching conductors work while counting rests. It didn’t take long until Reilly caught an early case of “Baton Fever” and discovered his deep-set passion for conducting.

At Princeton University, Reilly entered the studio of Michael Pratt and earned a musical performance minor in orchestral conducting. During his time at Princeton, Reilly had the privilege of conducting two full operas and two full orchestras, including the University’s flagship orchestra, and he participated in a conducting masterclass with Gustavo Dudamel.

While Reilly moved to Seattle in 2020 for a software engineering position at Microsoft, he never lost touch with his musical roots. Embracing our thriving music scene here in the Pacific Northwest, Reilly regularly performs as a timpanist with the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra (PSSO) and as a percussionist with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra.

As the Music Director for Solstice, Reilly leverages his boundless enthusiasm to foster a collaborative environment that empowers musicians to showcase their talents. Under his leadership, Solstice has grown into a symbol of artistic unity over 80 musicians strong, inspiring a celebration of both the performing arts and our amazing local music community in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.