The Philharmonic Announces Contract Extension and New Title For Assistant Conductor Caleb Young

FORT WAYNE (April 19, 2018) —Andrew Constantine, Music Director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and James W. Palermo, Managing Director, today announced an extension of Assistant Conductor Caleb Young’s contract and new title as Associate Conductor, beginning in September 2018. 

Young joined the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as Assistant Conductor in the fall of 2016, serves as cover conductor for all Masterworks Series programs, and conducts pops, education, family, ballet, special performances, and community engagement events. Under his extended contract, he will serve as Associate Conductor.

“I am delighted that Caleb will remain with the Philharmonic,” said Music Director Andrew Constantine. “He has made an important and telling impact in the community and is a truly valued member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.” 

“Caleb has a unique way of reaching audiences through his affable manner and knowledge of music. We look forward to seeing what he is able to accomplish in the near future in this new role,” said Managing Director James W. Palermo.

Young has conducted the Oregon Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, and the Asheville Ballet. Later this season, Young will debut with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He has assisted and served as cover conductor for such organizations as the Saint Louis Symphony, Van Cliburn Competition, Atlanta Opera, Portland Symphony, and the National Music Festival.

In 2016 he was selected by members of the Vienna Philharmonic for the American Austrian Foundation’s (AAF) Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship Prize, which takes place during the prestigious Salzburg Festival. He was also selected as a participant conductor in the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, where he performed and worked with Marin Alsop and James Ross. Young has also served as assistant conductor for the National Music Festival.

Young is founder and conductor of KammerMahler, a mobile chamber orchestra, established in 2013, which specializes in performing large scale symphonic works in a chamber orchestra setting. Among its many accomplishments, KammerMahler recorded and released the world premier album of Klaus Simon’s arrangement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.

Dedicated to attracting younger audiences to the Philharmonic, Young led in the creation of “Music and Mixology,” a series designed for young professionals who want to experience classical music and enjoy networking opportunities in a relaxed setting and at affordable prices.

A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Young started his musical training on piano at the age of three. He received his master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with David Effron and Arthur Fagen. Other teachers include Demondrae Thurman and John Ratledge.