Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Kitchen lighting remodel

The circuit for my kitchen powers all the lights and receptacles in the kitchen. Of course the dishwasher, range, and fridge are on their own individual circuits. I currently have 3 dual flourscent lights, 1 recessed light, and 1 chandelier..I would like to remove the chandelier and use that switch to control 6 recessed lights to be added.--Remove the 3 dual flourescent lights and install 3 pendant lights to run off that switch. Then, I'd like to add 4 recessed lights to the 1 existing recessed light, which is also controlled by an individual switch..If I recall correctly, the amp rating on that circuit is 15.
My question is...Would I be close to overloading that circuit by doing the above? Would upgrading that circuit to 20 be safer and how much work and expense is involved with that?
By the way, how do you determine a circuits max capacity?
As far as the hooking up of the new lights is concerned, is it simply a matter of removing the connection from the old light and hooking it up to the new lights?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

did you do recent remodeling in the Kitchen area ?? if so you are looking a gross code volation there because the code is very specfic on the kitchen circuit it stated that no lighting circuit allowed to be with small appalince circuit at all.

so if you are going to fix this mess it is a good time to get the countertop repectale seprated from the kitchen lighting.

once you sorted out the mess then it will be far more eaiser to handle the lighting circuit.

Merci, Marc