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Tonu Kalam, born of Estonian parents, has lived in the United States since the age of two. He was trained as a conductor, pianist and composer at Harvard University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Curtis Institute of Music, his major teachers having been conductor Max Rudolf and composers Leon Kirchner and Andrew Imbrie. His summer credits include fellowships at Tanglewood and Aspen, as well as many years at Marlboro, where he conducted the Beethoven Choral Fantasy on five occasions at the invitation of legendary pianist Rudolf Serkin.
He has appeared as guest conductor with the North Carolina Symphony, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, among others, and has served as Music Director of the New England Chamber Orchestra in Boston. He was a prizewinner in the first Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Young Conductor's Competition, and was also a finalist in the prestigious Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductors Program.
In 1994 Mr. Kalam made his European debut conducting the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra in Tallinn, and was immediately reengaged for appearances in the June 1995 Tubin Music Festival in Tallinn and Tartu. He returned to Europe in 1997 to guest conduct the Oulu Symphony Orchestra in Finland and for his third engagement in Estonia.
Tonu Kalam has conducted over 130 opera performances, for companies such as the Shreveport Opera, the Lake George Opera Festival and the Nevada Opera Company. For seven years he was Music Director of the Illinois Opera Theatre at the University of Illinois, and he has also filled short term appointments as Visiting Associate Professor and director of the orchestra programs at the University of Miami in Florida and St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
In 1984 Mr. Kalam began a long term association with the renowned Kneisel Hall summer chamber music festival in Blue Hill, Maine, where he spent thirteen years in various administrative and musical capacities, as Executive Director, Summer Program Director, Artist Faculty pianist and chamber music coach. He continues to perform regularly as a pianist and chamber musician in addition to his conducting activities.
Presently he is a Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving as Music Director and Conductor of the UNC Symphony Orchestra. Since 1988 Mr. Kalam has concurrently held the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Longview Symphony Orchestra in Texas, where he commutes for five concerts each year, and in 1999 he founded the Chapel Hill Chamber Orchestra, a 12 member professional string ensemble.
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