Music Director
Kaleb Benda is an American conductor driven by an artistic mission to connect with audiences through entertaining, educating, and enriching performances. Through dynamic score interpretations, a charismatic presence on the podium, and innovative programming, Benda has made classical music relevant with communities and lead ensembles to new artistic levels. He currently serves as Music Director of the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Enid Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Oklahoma Christian University Chamber Orchestra.
Having conducted across the United States and in Hungary, Kaleb Benda primarily performs with the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony, a civic chamber orchestra based in Oklahoma City. His multi-faceted career also includes regular appearances with the annual Cool Classics Series where he conducts the OK Strings ensemble, as Artistic Director of Instrumental Ensembles at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, as Music Director of the Mount St. Mary Instrumental Music Ensemble, and as Music Director of the St. Stephen’s Choir. Other conducting positions include Assistant Conductor for the University of Central Oklahoma’s 2019 operatic production of Così fan tutte, and guest conducting engagements with the Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Texas Chamber Symphony, the Medomak Symphony Orchestra, the Centennial (TX) Symphony Orchestra, and the University of North Texas Wind Symphony.
A proponent of new music, Benda has given world premieres and regional premieres of compositions from composers such as Nico Muhly, Clint Williams, Dr. Daniel Adams, and Dr. Zachary Daniels. He regularly features new music on programs. In 2021 Benda and Oklahoma Chamber Symphony commissioned Clint Williams’ Greenwood, Archer & Pine, a piece commemorating the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre. He created a Composer in Residence program with the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony. He frequently collaborates with composers in guest residencies.
As an advocate for music, Benda serves as an educator in Oklahoma and works with many youth and university musicians. At the collegiate level, Kaleb Benda is a member of the music faculty at Oklahoma Christian University and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. At OC Kaleb Benda is the Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra, the principal orchestral ensemble. At USAO Benda conducts the Concert Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, and Chamber Winds, teaches student conductors on the individual level, and is also a frequent guest instructor for the conducting classes. At the secondary level, Benda is the Director of Music at Mount St. Mary High School. At MSM Benda conducts the Instrumental Music Ensemble, the Vocal Music Ensemble, Musical Theatre, teaches string fundamentals, and instructs a music history class offered concurrently through Newman University. With the Enid Symphony Orchestra, Kaleb Benda has performed Carnegie Hall Link Up concerts for elementary audiences. Benda began an annual student play-in concert with the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony. This side by side concert targets underserved musical communities and gives students from these communities the opportunity to get instruction from OCS musicians, and perform alongside them. In the concert hall, Benda regularly shares insight with the audience and pairs music with other artistic collaborations or elements to create a more enhanced concert experience.
Kaleb was awarded third prize for The American Prize in the disciplines of Conducting and Programming in 2023 and received honorable mention for the performance of American Music. He was a finalist for conducting consecutively in 2016-2022. In 2021, Kaleb was named a Next Gen under 30 award winner for his effort with Oklahoma Chamber Symphony to make classical music accessible in the community.
Benda has studied in music Hungary and received his Master of Music in Conducting degree from the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University where he was awarded the Graduate Student Talent Scholarship. Positions he held at OCU include Graduate Conductor for the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Philharmonic, and University Chorale Choir. He was also the Assistant Conductor to the Oklahoma City University Musical and Opera Companies for their productions of Hairspray, and the regional premier of the opera Dark Sisters. He holds a degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. His mentors include Alexander Mickelthwate, Jeffrey Grogan, and Douglas Newell.