Reiss also championed instruments such as the hammered dulcimer, the Irish pennywhistle, and Arabic hand drums. His musical tastes ranged from Renaissance concertos to Appalachian blues, and his recordings feature repertoire from medieval to Celtic.
Mr. Reiss was born in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. His first instrument was the clarinet, and he began playing the recorder in high school. He was mostly self-taught. He later studied at Antioch College in Ohio, the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Maryland.