Carlos Kalmar was born to Austrian parents in Uruguay in 1958. He began studying violin at the age of six and conducting with Karl Österreicher at the Vienna Musikhochschule at the age of 15. Kalmar has been music director of the Hamburger Symphoniker (1987 to 1991), the Stuttgart Philharmonic (1991 to 1995) and the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau, Germany (1996-2000). Since 2000, Kalmar has been the principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago and, since 2003, the Oregon Symphony. His symphony and opera guest conducting engagements throughout Europe and North America. Carlos Kalmar's recordings include the 2003 release of the Joachim and the Brahms Violin Concertos featuring Rachel Barton and the Chicago Symphony, both on the Cedille Records label.