New Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra conductor looking forward to opening night

05 Sep New Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra conductor looking forward to opening night

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT)- New Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Roger Kalia says he’s looking forward to being a part of the community and leading musicians on stage at the Victory Theatre.

Kalia’s opening night concert is the weekend of September 19. Four works will be performed, including a world premiere fanfare written for the orchestra and the city of Evansville.

“It’s a great way for me to open my tenure with the orchestra and it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be special. You know the musicians haven’t performed in months. We’re craving, we’re dying to perform for you and I can tell you that it’s going to be special to be back with our audience,” Kalia said.

Kalia is looking forward to his debut. The concert will feature 30 musicians, half the orchestra’s usual size, with COVID-19 precautions in place.

“Because of the pandemic, performances have been canceled pretty much since March, so the fact that we are able to come together here in Evansville while many orchestras are folding or postponing their seasons, here we are performing for our beloved audience in the Victory Theatre with safety protocols in place. I can’t wait for it,” Kalia said.

Kalia says he wants to get to know the community and the audience. The EPO may partner with breweries and parks for performances in the future.

“I still have so many people that I want to meet … you name it, I want to meet you, I want to get to know you and I want you to come to the symphony because the symphony is for everyone,” Kalia said. “This season is called ‘Connect and Celebrate’ so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get to know our audiences even more.”

Information on tickets can be found here.