From 96 applicants to three finalists, the Redlands Symphony invites the community to help shape its future as each candidate takes the podium this season.
With a new quarterback under center and a roster full of fresh talent, Arrowhead Christian Academy kicks off the season aiming to build on last year’s progress.
From 96 applicants to three finalists, the Redlands Symphony invites the community to help shape its future as each candidate takes the podium this season.
The 2025/2026 program of Redlands Symphony kicks off with concerts directed by the three final candidates for the new Music Director position left open after beloved conductor, Ransom Wilson, retired.
From a total of 96 applicants, 37 were chosen based on minimum requirements. The Music Director Search Committee ultimately selected 18 to interview, explained Kevin Eberle-Noel, Executive Director of Redlands Symphony. The committee consists of 12 members: Musicians, board members, community members and the Executive Director.
After interviewing all 18 qualified candidates, the committee chose: Kalena Bovell, Deanna Tham and Roger Kalia. These are the three finalists the Redlands Community are invited to see in upcoming concerts this fall, starting with Kalena Bovell on September 6th.
“We fully expect [the three conductors] to wow the audience,” said Robert Bourne, the Chair of the committee. Each candidate will spend about a week in Redlands rehearsing with the orchestra and having additional interviews.
Kalena Bovell visited Redlands for the first time in 2022 for a residency at the University of Redlands. “I grew up in Los Angeles and I found that Redlands had a completely different vibe from the places I knew,” Bovell said. “I was struck by the rich history reflected in the city’s architecture.”
If Bovell gets the position, she hoped, “To truly embed myself in the community and learn what people love most about their city. I know the Redlands Bowl is one of its defining cultural institutions.” She looked forward to exploring Redlands’ café scene, “It often reveals a lot about [the city’s] character.”
Professionally, Bovell likes to focus on education and has volunteered her time as a career adviser for students, something she hopes to continue in Redlands.
For the upcoming September concert, she looks forward to working with pianist Artina McCain. “Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is absolutely infectious from the first note. Every time I hear it, I have to stop what I’m doing and just listen,” she said. “When I open my score, I always find something new that I didn’t notice before. This brings me so much joy and excitement and I hope to be able to bring the same to the audience.”
On October 11, the second finalist is Deanna Tham. She grew up in the Bay Area and visits friends and family in Southern California often. She hopes to be “An instigator and conduit for more synergy between both artistic and non-artistic organizations and businesses throughout the community. Finding where people's interests lie and finding ways to pool resources to provide both entertainment and social needs in the neighborhood,” she said.
At the concert Tham will conduct she commented, “[Stravinsky’s] The Firebird is a piece that I've brought with me from youth orchestras to professional groups, and we are hard pressed to find another work that captivates the magic, energy, and storytelling that is capable in classical music.” She added, “Gabriella Smith has quickly become one of my favorite new composers. As a Californian and environmentalist, she has a gift for being able to capture the scope of evolutionary time in her pieces.”
The third and final finalist, Roger Kalia, is performing with the orchestra on November 15th. He came to Redlands in 2018, when he conducted at the Redlands Bowl, something he’s done yearly since. “Each time I discover something new and unique about the city,” he said. “Most of all, it’s the people of Redlands who make it truly special, they are warm, welcoming, and passionate about their community.”
Kalia’s vision as Music Director is, “I see myself as a musical ambassador for Redlands, building connections both on and off the stage,” he said. “My goal is to make the Redlands Symphony the most welcoming and accessible place for music and entertainment in the city, a space where everyone feels they belong.”
For the November concert, “I’m truly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing and dedicated musicians of the Redlands Symphony,” he said. “Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony was one of the very first works I ever conducted, so it holds a special place in my heart. I’m equally thrilled to share Anna Clyne’s Dance for solo cello with the musicians and our audience. Anna is, in my view, one of the most unique and important composers of our generation.”
There are high expectations for the candidates filling the Music Director position. “Ransom Wilson, and his predecessor Jon Robertson brought our orchestra from a fine university community ensemble into a continually improving and well respected fully professional orchestra,” Bourne said.
“That said, there is always room for further growth. We hope a new Music director can bring a vision that will help us bring orchestral music to a wider audience, while continuing to excite our musicians and our loyal audience of symphony lovers […] and expand on educational and collaborative opportunities for Redlands and the surrounding communities.”
After the third finalist's week concludes in November, the committee and board will do a final review. The hope is to announce a decision by the time of the final concert of the season in May, 2026.
Website: www.redlandssymphony.com
Email: symphony@redlandssymphony.com
Phone: (909) 587-5565
Learn more about the 2025/2026 season here: www.redlandssymphony.com/25-26-season
Kalena Bovell
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, Bovell has rapidly ascended to international prominence. She is the winner of the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence—the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization—and was named a 2022-2024 Awardee of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. In a groundbreaking moment, Bovell etched her name in history in 2023 as the first Black woman to conduct an opera in Canada, conducting a world premiere reimagining of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha.
Deanna Tham
Powerfully compelling, Deanna Tham is known for her captivating and tenacious spirit on and off the podium. She is currently the Associate Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, Music Director of the Union Symphony Orchestra, and Interim Music Director of the Portland Chamber Orchestra. She is also a 2024 La Maestra Conducting Competition semi-finalist and La Maestra academian. Tham also regularly guest conducts with her engagements including the Oregon Symphony, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Orpheus PDX, Ballet Idaho, Opera Idaho and 45th Parallel.
Roger Kalia
Kalia is now in his fifth season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic, his sixth season as Music Director of Symphony New Hampshire and in his seventh season with Orchestra Santa Monica. He was most recently appointed Artistic Director Designate of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra for the 2024-25 season, and he will assume the role of Artistic Director during the 2025-26 season. The recipient of several awards from the Solti Foundation, including an Elizabeth Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of Chicago and five Career Assistance Awards, Kalia has been praised for his “extraordinary leadership” (Courier & Press).
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