About this Artist

With her distinctive voice as maestra, speaker and poet, critics praise Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell as “one of the brightest stars in classical music.” (Channel 3 News, Connecticut). Propelled by a steadfast commitment to musical excellence and community access, her recent achievements include receiving the prestigious 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence—the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization—and becoming the first Black woman to conduct an opera in Canada, conducting a world premiere reimagination of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. The former Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony, she has also served as guest conductor with orchestras including the Minnesota Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, Hamilton Philharmonic and the Victoria Symphony. As a guest clinician, she has worked with programs including from the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School Pre-College.