Born into a family of medical doctors, Reinhardt received her early education in the Altenkessel district of Saarbrücken.
At age 15, whilst in a music workshop in France as an oboist in a youth orchestra, she began to develop an interest in conducting.
[1][2] At age 17, Reinhardt composed a children's opera based on the book Das kleine Gespenst by Otfried Preußler.
[1][3] Reinhardt continued her musical education at the Zurich University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste), where her violin teachers included Rudolf Koelman.
She subsequently received a scholarship to the Juilliard School, where her conducting teachers included Alan Gilbert and James Ross.