Kalena Bovell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kalena Bovell
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Bovell in 2021 (photo by Jamie Pratt)
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| Alma mater | Chapman University; University of Hartford Hartt School |
| Occupation | Conductor |
Kalena Bovell is a talented conductor from Panama and the United States. She received the Sphinx Medal of Excellence in 2024. Besides leading orchestras, Kalena is also known for her speeches and poetry.
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About Kalena Bovell
Early Life and Music
Kalena Bovell grew up in Los Angeles, California. Her parents moved there from Panama. She started singing when she was nine years old. At age 11, she discovered classical music by joining a beginner strings class.
Kalena taught herself music for seven years. She had her first private music lesson when she was 18. She played the violin very well.
Becoming a Conductor
While studying at Chapman University, Kalena found her passion for conducting. This was during her second year of college. She graduated from Chapman University in 2009. After that, she went to graduate school at the Hartt School to continue her music studies.
Kalena's Career
Leading Orchestras
Kalena Bovell has worked as an orchestra director. She led the orchestra at the Loomis Chaffee School. In 2015, she directed a show called Swan Princess. This show was based on Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
In 2017, a newspaper called the Chicago Tribune praised her. They said her conducting of Slavonic Dances by Antonín Dvořák was "brilliant."
Special Achievements
In 2019, Kalena Bovell became the assistant conductor for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, she was noted as the only African-American and Hispanic conductor in the United States. This shows her important role in classical music.
