Kalena Bovell

conductor

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.