Kalanit-Liat Chalstrom is pursuing her Ph.D. in Musicology at the University of Arizona. Her primary area of research is Jewish music in the 20th century, focusing on the careers of Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Mahler, and Aaron Copland.

Her research on Gustav Mahler explores Mahler’s connection to his Jewish identity. In her Master’s thesis, Kalanit-Liat explored how Leonard Bernstein self-identified with the Mahler legacy in his 1960 Young People’s Concert series and, in doing so, helped to facilitate the Mahler revival of the 1960s that changed current perspectives of Mahler and his music. She has also spoken at the American Musicological Society’s Rocky Mountain chapter meeting on Mahler’s relationship to Richard Wagner, and how the impact of Wagner’s ideas regarding Jewish music shaped Mahler’s experiences throughout his career. In her teaching, Kalanit-Liat has given several lectures on Mahler’s symphonies and the historical significance of those symphonies, guiding students through analyses and interactive activities meant to immerse the senses in Mahler’s music.

Drawing from her own Jewish identity, Kalanit-Liat is passionate about providing a space for Jewish voices in academia and exploring Jewish stories in music.