Press
“Kalena Bovell led the ensemble with a sincere commitment, in a direction combining precision and emotional suggestiveness.”
— Frédéric Cardin | PANM360
“The admirably diverse company (onstage and off) featured multiple Opera Philadelphia debuts, including conductor Kalena Bovell. She led the musicians with grace and authority, adeptly achieving both the lightness of a period chamber orchestra and the heft required for an operatic ensemble.”
— Gail Obenreder | Broad Street Review
“In the orchestra pit on Sunday afternoon, Kalena Bovell led a pleasantly flowing account of the score, as if it were an extended dance rather than a story punctuated by musical numbers.”
— Joshua Barone | The New York Times
“Also significant was Kalena Bovell’s taut conducting and the effervescent playing from the orchestra, even in more routine passages of this uneven score.”
— David Patrick Stearns | The Philadelphia Inquirer
“The sounds of new and old within the orchestra are kept under careful watch by Bovell’s firm hand, although at times they form an uneasy alliance, which is probably the point: It’s precisely that friction that drives much of the narrative.”
— Catherine Kustanczy | The Globe And Mail
“You can also witness the globally acclaimed Panamanian-American conductor and violinist, Kalena Bovell, grace viewers with flawless music by way of an orchestra throughout the entire show.
Bowell is officially the first Black woman conductor in Canadian opera history and beautifully led the first all-Black orchestra in the country. ”
— Osobe Waberi | now.
“Now that you've found her, never let her go. I hope that’s the mantra among players of the Chineke! Orchestra and their Artistic and Executive Director Chi-chi Nwanoku – leading the double basses last night – after this Prom with Panamanian-American conductor Kalena Bovell.”
— David Nice | the arts desk
“That’s the reality of Kalena Bovell, an orchestra conductor already breaking barriers in Canada after recently stepping foot in the country’s largest city for the very first time.
The globally acclaimed Panamanian-American conductor and violinist will be the first Black woman conductor in Canadian opera history and will lead the first all-Black orchestra for the nation’s history in Toronto this summer.”
— Osobe Waberi | now.
“Kalena Bovell, assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, was a communicative leader in this concert, with clear baton technique and visual expressiveness with the players.”
— Timothy Robson | bachtrack
“Being one of the few black woman conductors in the world isn’t the only thing that sets Kalena Bovell apart. In this opus, she chats with Garrett and Scott about her journey to the podium and her deep admiration for metal!”
— Loki Karuna (formerly Garrett McQueen) and Scott Blankenship | TRILLOQUY