Detroit Opera names next music director

Roberto Kalb has been named as Detroit Opera’s next music director and will serve through the 2025-26 season.

Kalb is the second music director in Detroit Opera history after founder David DiChiera held the position from 1963 through his retirement in 2016.

“Roberto Kalb is well known to members of the Detroit Opera Orchestra and fills a role of music director that has remained unfilled until now," said President and CEO of Detroit Opera Wayne S. Brown. 

Kalb is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and he began conducting for the Detroit Operate in the 2017-18 season. 

“I can’t imagine an opera company that is more in touch with what it means to produce opera for our modern-day audiences, or one that is better attuned to its community,” said Kalb in a news release.

In his conducting debut, Kalb performed alongside Rick Ian Gordon’s “27” for which he also arranged a reduced orchestration. 

Most recently, Kalb led a reverse-chronology production of “La bohéme” in April.

“By accepting the challenge of performing Puccini’s classic work in reverse order, Roberto proved that you can be a master of a style and stay open to new ideas and perspectives on how that music should be approached,” said Artistic Director Yuval Sharon in the release. “He led the orchestra with rigor and care, and their overwhelming enthusiasm for his artistry and his manner made him a natural fit for the role of music director.”

As part of his new role, Kalb will join Yuval Sharon, Gary L. Wasserman artistic director, and Christine Goerke, associate artistic director, as a member of the Opera’s artistic leadership.

"His obvious love for the genre fuels his passionate conducting, one that facilitates the storytelling and drama of every work. He is an incredibly fine musician who is always able to be open to the ebb and flow of the work, while also being a pillar of strength and model of leadership on the podium,” said Goerke in the release.

Kalb will conduct one production per season beginning in fall 2023 and will work closely to in all community engagement and educational activities.