Orchestrating Change

Episode 53 with Roger Kalia

On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Roger Kalia, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks IV: Orchestral Kaleidoscope.

Praised for bringing a “fresh view to classical music” (The Republic), Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a versatile communicator who brings unique and unmistakable energy to the podium. Recently profiled by Symphony Magazine in recognition of his innovative programming, Kalia has been hailed as“leading with passionate intensity and a clear beat” as well as being “one to watch” (Long Beach Gazette). 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).

Orchestrating Change is available on all podcasts platforms. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com for more episodes, or visit cantonsymphony.org to learn more about the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Episode 52 with Tito Muñoz

On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Tito Muñoz, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks III: Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet.

Praised for his versatility, technical clarity, and keen musical insight, Tito Muñoz is internationally recognized as one of today’s most gifted conductors. He recently concluded a decade-long tenure as Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony at the end of the 2023–24 season and now continues with the orchestra as Artistic Partner, following earlier music directorships in France with the Opéra National de Lorraine and the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy, as well as assistant conducting roles with leading U.S. ensembles. Muñoz has appeared with many of North America’s foremost orchestras and maintains an active international career with major ensembles across Europe, Australia, South America, and New Zealand. Born in Queens, New York, he began his musical training as a violinist in New York City public schools and made his professional conducting debut in 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, followed that same year by his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Orchestrating Change is available on all podcasts platforms. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com for more episodes, or visit cantonsymphony.org to learn more about the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Episode 51 with JoAnn Falletta (pt.2)

On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we continue the conversation with JoAnn Falletta, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

Multiple Grammy Award–winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, a dear friend of our late Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann, is celebrated worldwide for her artistry as a conductor, recording artist, audience builder, and champion of American composers. She currently serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and as the Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center, and Conductor Laureate of the Hawaii Symphony. Named one of the “Fifty Great Conductors” by Gramophone Magazine, Falletta has also held major leadership roles with the Ulster Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, and The Women’s Philharmonic.

Orchestrating Change is available on all podcasts platforms. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com for more episodes, or visit cantonsymphony.org to learn more about the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Episode 50 with JoAnn Falletta (pt.1)

On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome back JoAnn Falletta, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

Multiple Grammy Award–winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, a dear friend of our late Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann, is celebrated worldwide for her artistry as a conductor, recording artist, audience builder, and champion of American composers. She currently serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and as the Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center, and Conductor Laureate of the Hawaii Symphony. Named one of the “Fifty Great Conductors” by Gramophone Magazine, Falletta has also held major leadership roles with the Ulster Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, and The Women’s Philharmonic.

Orchestrating Change is available on all podcasts platforms. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com for more episodes, or visit cantonsymphony.org to learn more about the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Episode 49 with Wesley Schulz

On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Wesley Schulz, who helped kick off the 2025–2026 season as our first guest conductor for MasterWorks I: Six Strings & A Symphony.

Wesley Schulz is celebrated for his imaginative programming and heartfelt, energetic conducting style. Currently Music Director of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra (WA) and Principal Guest Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, he has also served as Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony and appeared with numerous orchestras across the country, including Seattle, Utah, Austin, and Canton. A passionate advocate for diversifying classical music and reaching wider audiences, Schulz has collaborated with renowned artists such as Tessa Lark, Leslie Odom Jr., John Williams, and Pink Martini. Outside of music, he enjoys CrossFit, snowboarding, cooking, and playing fetch with his dogs, Chewbacca and Han Solo.

Orchestrating Change is available on all podcasts platforms. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com for more episodes, or visit cantonsymphony.org to learn more about the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Episode 48 with Alicia Lieu

On this episode of Orchestrating Change, we are delighted to be joined by Alicia Lieu, who has served as one of our conducting fellows with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2024-2025 season. She is a New York City-based conductor and composer known for her innovative programming, including the interactive “Dance-it-Yourself Nutcracker.” She leads the chamber ensemble Musikapiphany and has participated in various festivals. After her private conducting studies, she founded the New York Conducting Institute and Women Conductors Workshops to support fellow conductors. A composer trained under Nadia Boulanger, Alicia has received grants for her work and established the Composers Collective and Pitches Brew non-profit organizations. She created “The 48-Hour Musical” event and has extensive experience in arts education, serving as a teaching artist at several institutions. Alicia holds degrees in music composition and orchestral conducting from various prestigious schools. Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com/stay-informed to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.

Episode 47 with Alison Norris

We are delighted to be joined today by Alison Norris, who has served as one of our conducting fellows with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2024-2025 season. A Cincinnati native, Alison originally earned a bachelor of science degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana before earning their Master of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin and professional studies diploma from Manhattan School of Music, both in orchestral conducting. They were the founding conductor of the STEM Wind Ensemble at Valparaiso, and have served as a cover conductor for the Madison Ballet and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. They also produced and conducted a large-scale performance of Messiaen’s massive Turangalila Symphony in New York City, in a concert which explored the intersection of contemporary music and gender expression. Alison will be joining us again in the 2025-2026 season, continuing their role as Conducting Fellow.

 

Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com/stay-informed to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.

Episode 46 with Garrick Ohlsson

On this episode of Orchestrating Change, we're honored to welcome the legendary Garrick Ohlsson—one of the greatest living concert pianists. With a career spanning over six decades, Ohlsson has performed in the world’s top concert halls and with leading orchestras around the globe. He made history in 1970 as the only American to win the International Chopin Piano Competition and later earned a Grammy Award for his Beethoven recordings.

We talk about his recent performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in Canton, his lifelong dedication to the art of piano, and his current role mentoring young artists at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. From his roots in White Plains to his life in San Francisco, this is a deep dive into the extraordinary legacy of a true master.

Episode 45 with Brian Keith Johnson

Today we are delighted to be joined in person by operatic baritone Brian Keith Johnson. Brian has performed regularly with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout his career, most recently as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in last summer’s concert presentation of the musical Ragtime. He also appeared on Gerhardt Zimmermann’s final concert in April of 2023, singing Dvorak’s Te Deum and the Catalogue Aria from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He has also appeared with the orchestras of Cleveland, Charlotte, and Akron, and has performed with opera companies throughout the region. Brian received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Akron, and also studied voice at the New Opera Academy of Rome and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria. In addition to his performing career, Brian taught vocal music in the Akron Public Schools system for 34.5 years before retiring last spring.

 

Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com/stay-informed to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.

Episode 44 with Camille Delaney-McNeil

Today's guest is Camille Delaney-McNeill, Director of the Judith and Thomas L. Beckman YOLA Center, serving the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles program in Inglewood, California. Prior to her arrival in Los Angeles in 2021, she was the Director of Programs for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids, a comprehensive music education program serving students in Baltimore City Schools. She currently sits on the board of El Sistema USA, and was trained as a flautist before pursuing arts management, holding performance degrees from the University of Maryland and Peabody Conservatory.

Orchestrating Change is available wherever you get your podcasts. Visit www.orchestratingchange.com/stay-informed to sign-up for email reminders, view past episodes, and see the various channels where you can view our content. For more information about everything else we are offering at this time, please visit www.cantonsymphony.org.