In addition to teaching horn and the concert bands at UC Davis, lecturer in music Pete Nowlen is director of the Rancho Cordova’s Civic Light Orchestra called “Symphony d’Oro.” Through this orchestra he builds on local connections.

Nowlen sees Symphony d’Oro as a true expression of community involvement, beginning right from the organization’s origins. “Symphony d’Oro was founded by a group of participants in the CalCap Chamber Music Workshop who thought that Sacramento needed a different sort of community orchestra, and who then approached me about helping get it going,” he said.