68 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 J
N

R

oberto Kalb, new music 
director of Detroit 
Opera through the 
2025-2026 season, began his 
interest in instruments as a 
5-year-old pianist being raised 
in Mexico. Although the early 
years were just for fun, by the 
time he was a teenager, Kalb 
knew that a stage career was 
for him only expanded into 
conducting.
In a long line of experiences 
leading various orchestras, 
Kalb is preparing to lead the 
Detroit Opera Orchestra in a 
free community-based concert 
open to the public. 
“Beyond the Pit,” meaning 
the program is being taken 
into the community instead of 
being performed in the pit at 
the Detroit Opera House, will 
be held Saturday evening, Dec. 
16, at Western International 
High School in Detroit and 

feature resident singers.
“We’re presenting a pretty 
varied program of mostly 
well-known orchestral works,” 
Kalb said about the program 
that showcases the voices of 
Melanie Spector, Lisa Marie 
Rogali, River Guard, Ben 
Reisinger and Rolfe Dauz. 
“The program has 
Mendelssohn’s ‘Hebrides 
Overture,’ which is one of his 
most famous pieces. It’s a very 
beautiful, sort of mysterious 
piece that has an action-packed 
section. The other big piece 
on the program is Copland’s 
‘
Appalachian Spring,’ which 
was made famous by its use in 
a bunch of TV commercials. 
It’s a beautiful piece that has 
elements of Americana. 
“We’re doing Rossini’s 
‘Tancredi: Overture,’ which is 
very rarely done, but it’s a lot of 
fun. With the resident artists, 

we’re doing the Copland ‘Old 
American Songbook.’ Those 
are songs that Copland orches-
trated that are very beautiful 
and poignant. The last one is 
very funny.”
The Detroit Opera Orchestra 
conductor promises “a great 
time.”
Michigan brought great 
times to the conductor, 36, 
schooled and appearing in 
the state. The music of John 
Williams helped inspire his 
choice of career as did an 
assignment of his band teacher.
“I expressed my interest 
in maybe conducting to that 
teacher in Mexico,” Kalb 
recalled. “When he took some 
travels for work, he let me 
rehearse the band. He taught 
me the patterns, and that 
sparked a real deep interest in 
conducting.”
Kalb’s musical training 

was enhanced as he attended 
Interlochen Center for the 
Arts. When he was 17, he 
applied to Interlochen, and 
he remembers that his aunt 
bullied his father into allowing 
him to apply. 
“It was a wonderful 
experience,” said Kalb, who 
went on to attend the San 
Francisco Conservatory of 
Music and earn a master’s 
degree in composition from 
the University of Michigan 
before studying at the New 
England Conservatory. 
Among his educational 
experiences on a personal 
level was Birthright Israel. 
Professionally, as freelance 
assignments picked up, he 
visited Israel to conduct for 
the International Vocal Arts 
Institute in Tel Aviv.
In terms of conducting in 
America, Kalb has accepted 

Dec. 16 program will 
take great opera 
music from the 
Detroit Opera House 
into the community.

‘Beyond 
 the Pit’

SUZANNE CHESSLER 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS&LIFE
OPERA

Roberto Kalb

SIMON PAULY

