Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra sparkles in its 2025-26 season opener

By Walter Balcavage

For the Tribune-Star

Saturday evening’s Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra concert was a whirlwind of musical milestones:

• The debut of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra’s new music director, Roger Kalia;

• The premiere of “Centennial Fanfare” by composer-in-residence Daniel Powers, the introduction of new concertmaster Michael Chu,

• And the first appearance of the Indian tabla on the THSO stage, performed by none other than Grammy winner Sandeep Das.

Phew! Oh, and did I mention it was also the first time we heard THSO this season? They were fabulous!

The evening began with Powers’ fanfare, a bold and celebratory overture marking the orchestra’s 100th season. The brass opened with a classically boisterous declaration, followed by full orchestral fanfare that set the tone for the night. Congratulations to Dan Powers on a job well done — his piece was a fitting tribute to a century of symphonic excellence.

Next came Dinuk Wijeratne’s Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra, a genre-blending fusion of classical Indian and Western music. Featuring the tabla— a pair of small hand drums played with astonishing dexterity — this Canadian Juno Award-winning composition was brought to life by the world’s foremost tabla artist, Sandeep Das. His performance was nothing short of brilliant.

The interplay between the tabla and the orchestra was phenomenal. In the first movement, the two musical voices seemed to take turns developing themes, like a jazz conversation, with the orchestra offering improvised counterpoints to Das’s musically rhythmic storytelling.

The THSO musicians matched the tabla’s volatile shifts in rhythm and style with remarkable precision—a testament to their flexibility and skill, and a revelation of new music for the audience.

The second movement opened with a mesmerizing solo from principal trumpet Jay Ellsmore, launching the orchestra into a dreamy, improvisatory soundscape. The third movement featured a repeated woodwind melody over which Das improvised dazzling variations, dancing effortlessly atop the orchestra’s steady pulse.

Exactly how Kalia managed to conduct this piece — balancing two fundamentally different musical languages — is beyond me. It was like putting a VW, a sedan, and an IndyCar on the same racetrack and asking him to race/ drive them both at once. And somehow, he did.

Those who missed Saturday’s concert didn’t just miss Sandeep’s exceptional artistry — they missed his warm, engaging personality. His friendship with Kalia was evident and added an electric energy to the performance. When (not if) Sandeep returns to the THSO stage, do not miss it.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1

And just when you thought the evening couldn’t get more remarkable, the THSO launched into Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan”—arguably one of the greatest symphonic works ever composed.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan” is renowned for its massive orchestration, and Saturday’s performance by the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra was no exception. True to Mahler’s specifications, the Tilson stage was filled to capacity — musicians packed in like sardines — creating a visual prelude to the sonic grandeur that followed.

The music itself was exceptional, marked by abrupt and unexpected shifts in form and style. Over four movements, Kalia and the THSO crafted a vivid musical journey through the stages of life.

The first movement evoked a serene awakening of nature, reminiscent of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastorale,” with exceptional lyrical woodwind solos by principal flute Angela Reynolds and principal oboe Rebecca McGuire.

The second movement, a scherzo built on Austrian folk dances and waltz elements, captured the bustling energy of village life. Mahler’s playful yet complex writing came alive through shrieking violin passages and buzzing double basses, painting a lively portrait of everyday joys and sorrows.

The third movement opened with a rare and haunting solo by principal bass Aidos Khamitov, introducing Mahler’s dark transformation of the children’s song Frère Jacques into a funeral march. The orchestra sustained this somber tone before shifting abruptly into a tender theme of lost love, quoting Mahler’s own song “Die zwei blauen Augen meines Schatzes (“The Two Blue Eyes of My Beloved”).

The fourth movement began with a jarring explosion of sound — Mahler’s vision of Hell, born of heartbreak. THSO’s execution of this chaotic opening was precise and powerful. From this turmoil, the orchestra transitioned into passages of hope and triumph, led by soaring horns and violins. The finale was a celebration of life’s victory over death, dominated by the brilliance of the expanded brass section.

If the performance of Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra showcased THSO’s flexibility, Titan—especially its fourth movement—demonstrated its musical discipline.

Under Kalia’s direction, the orchestra navigated Mahler’s dissonant passages and sudden thematic shifts with clarity and control. Discipline is the hallmark of a successful Mahler performance, and the THSO has it in spades.

The Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra is an exceptional ensemble. Attend their next performance on Nov. 1, and you will not be disappointed.

Grammy winner Sandeep Das, left, and Roger Kalia take a bow after the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra’s season opener Sept. 13.

Walter Balcavage