ASO’s second candidate concert was a pleasure

21 Jun ASO’s second candidate concert was a pleasure

Kalia, currently the assistant conductor of the Pacific Symphony and music director of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Lake George Music Festival, is a very fine young conductor with a solid technique, some really good musical ideas, and the strength as a conductor to work those ideas out in collaboration with the orchestra.

It was readily apparent that he and the musicians had a very positive rapport going on, and the results were obvious in the quality of the music-making — which, as I’ve said often enough, is about far more than how well the notes are played.

At the same time, in his multiple interactions with the audience, Kalia showed himself to be completely at ease with what has to be a stressful situation for a conductor — coming into a new environment, working with an unfamiliar orchestra, and doing all that as a candidate to be at the orchestra’s helm.

With an engaging, affable manner, Kalia made the most of his opportunities to connect with people and to do a little educational work about the music at the same time, and given the warmth of the response he received from the audience after the concert, it’s clear that the audience connected with him too.

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