Filipina-American Conductor Marie Bucoy-Calavan Leads Choral Arts into a New Era
By Alex Baquilod, The FilAm News

When Marie Bucoy-Calavan stepped onto the Kennedy Center podium last year to conduct O Night Divine with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, she didn’t know that moment would change her life. Months later, she received the call—she had been chosen as Choral Arts’ new Artistic Director. The appointment marked not only a professional triumph but also a deeply personal milestone for the first-generation Filipina American conductor, wife, and mother of two.

“I was filled with gratitude,” Bucoy-Calavan recalled. “But I was also overwhelmed. I was about to lead one of the most prestigious choral organizations in the country—while expecting a baby.”

Rooted in Resilience: A Filipino-American Journey

Born to immigrant parents—her mother from San Juan, Batangas, and her father from Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur—Bucoy-Calavan grew up balancing her Filipino heritage with her American upbringing. Like many Filipino parents, hers emphasized stability through the sciences.

“My parents were both chemists and didn’t think music could be a real career,” she shared with a laugh. “My mom kept saying, ‘Be a doctor, not a musician.’ But I wanted to follow what I was passionate about and still make them proud.”

That passion propelled her to earn her bachelor’s, master’s, and ultimately her Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting—a field long dominated by men.

Redefining Leadership at Choral Arts

As Artistic Director, Bucoy-Calavan is reimagining Choral Arts’ identity for the next generation. Founded 60 years ago, the ensemble is renowned for its excellence and long-standing tradition of partnering with embassies to celebrate global cultures.

“Choral Arts has always valued musical excellence, but I see us going further—becoming the Ambassador Chorus,” she explained. “Through music, we can uplift cultures, build unity, and celebrate diversity.”

Her new initiative, Unity Sing, brings together Choral Arts members and community choirs from partner cultures to learn and perform folk songs in their native languages. “It’s not just performance—it’s connection and celebration,” she said.

Undas, an interactive choral experience honoring Filipinos

This November 2nd, Bucoy-Calavan brings her heritage center stage through Undas, a Filipino tradition honoring departed loved ones. When she noticed that All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day fell on a weekend, inspiration struck.

“I thought Undas would be a perfect concert theme,” she said. “Even as a Filipina, I’ve been learning about my culture anew through this partnership with the Philippine Embassy. It’s been both an honor and a homecoming.”

The Undas concert will be interactive—audience members will participate in the remembrance, bridging the boundary between performer and listener. “I love the idea of interactive concerts,” she added. “The traditional model of just sitting and listening feels outdated. Music should be shared, not just observed.”

Balancing the Podium and Parenthood

In an op-ed that has resonated across the classical music world, Bucoy-Calavan reflected on the invisible struggles of women conductors—and mothers—in the field.

“When I was 21, I realized that almost every great conductor I studied was a man,” she wrote. “And the few women I found rarely had children. The message was clear: if I wanted to be a conductor, motherhood had to be off the table.”

That belief was shattered during the pandemic. When her ensembles fell silent, Bucoy-Calavan and her husband, Kevin, decided to start a family. The arrival of their daughter, Corinne, changed everything.

“No concert I’ve ever conducted could match the love I felt when I first held her,” she shared. Yet, the balance was grueling—nursing between rehearsals, studying scores at dawn, and battling postpartum depression.

Still, she persisted. While eight months pregnant with her son, Bennett, she was named Artistic Director of Choral Arts. “I’ve conducted through exhaustion, anxiety, and joy,” she wrote. “And I’ve only managed because of my family’s unwavering support.”

A Message to the Next Generation

To young Filipino and Filipino-American musicians, Bucoy-Calavan offers heartfelt advice: “Family is everything. My parents, my husband, my children—they’re the reason I’ve succeeded. Even when they didn’t understand my world, they supported me anyway.”

She adds, “If you ever feel lost, look to your family—your mom, dad, Lola, Lolo, Tita, Tito, Ate, or Kuya. The strength of our culture lies in those bonds.”

A New Chapter for Filipino Representation

As one of the few Filipina conductors to lead a major American chorus, Bucoy-Calavan is not just breaking barriers—she’s rewriting the score.

“For too long, women in classical music were told to choose between podium and parenthood,” she said. “But we can be both. I want young women to see that it’s possible—difficult, yes—but possible.”

In music and in life, Marie Bucoy-Calavan conducts with grace, grit, and the spirit of her heritage—proof that harmony can be found even in the most complex of compositions.