Carlos Kalmar, born February 26, 1958, in Montevideo, Uruguay, is a conductor. He began violin studies at age six and later enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Music under Karl Österreicher. In 1984, he won first prize in the Hans Swarowsky Conducting Competition in Vienna. Kalmar served as music director for various orchestras, including the Hamburger Symphoniker (1987–91), the Stuttgart Philharmonic (1991–95), and the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau. He was principal conductor of the Tonkünstlerorchester, Vienna, from 2000 to 2003, and the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago from 2000 to 2024. Kalmar also held the position of music director for the Oregon Symphony from 2003 to 2021. Notable recordings include Music for a Time of War (2011) and This England (2012), both with The Oregon Symphony.
