Throughout the spring, as part of our Artist in the Making series, we've been talking to individuals who are wrapping up academic studies in their chosen discipline and are preparing for life on the outside, as professionals.
From the start of the interview, I got a great vibe.
In late January, we heard from orchestral conductor and doctoral student at the Jacobs School of Music, Roger Kalia, who was busy preparing for the last semester of coursework and the many recitals and auditions that were piling up in front of him. Roger recently stopped by the WFIU studios with an exciting update Kalia will has been named the next Music Director for the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra.
It's a lot of pressure because Michael Tilson Thomas was there [and] André Previn. So there's a lot to live up to, but I couldn't be more excited. It's going to be a great three years, and I'm just really looking forward to it.
Kalia submitted his materials in 2011 and was named one of the five finalists for the prestigious position. He was invited to Los Angeles in March for the audition which consisted of conducting preselected works and a 15 minute interview with the YMF Board, at the end of the auditions they named him as the next Music Director.
I was really grateful because typically they make applicants wait. Most orchestras make you wait for weeks, even months. So with them to do it right at the end, it was nice.
Kalia will be finishing his qualifying exams and beginning the dissertation in the next year, and he will split his time between Bloomington and L.A., flying out for concerts and fundraising events. Before then, Kalia will participating in the Malko Conducting Competition in Copenhagen where he will be one of the 48 conductors chosen to compete . And in August he's off to the Lake George Music Festival where a few months ago he was named Music Director of the festival orchestra.
To learn more about Roger Kalia, you can listen our previous interview as part of the Artist in the Making series.