Her work is melodic and emphasizes driving or complex rhythms. Reese was Composer in residence at the Minnesota Opera from 1991–99. In 1993, she was awarded a Faith Partners Residency sponsored by the American Composers Forum and the Otto Bremer Foundation. She collaborated with Delores Dufner OSB, on the oratorio Choose Life. The following year, the Otto Bremer Foundation gave her a grant to write a symphonic version, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1995. The San José Chamber Orchestra and Chorus recorded Choose Life at Skywalker Sound and released the album in 2011.