Marty Austin Lamar’s life has been filled with music since he was a child. Classically trained on piano, Marty was reared in the church and spent his formative years accompanying, leading, and participating in choirs led by his parents and a host of amazing family members, teachers, coaches and mentors.

Marty graduated from the Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry and furthered his education at the University of Florida where he received his Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in acting with an emphasis in Musical Theatre performance and technique.

An accomplished singer, musician and songwriter, Marty’s resume is vast including several regional and New York theatre credits and building elementary, secondary and post-secondary performing arts programs. Marty currently serves on the faculty of Howard University as full-time lecturer and coordinator of the BFA Musical Theatre program. As coordinator, Marty has worked to improve and expand the current curriculum and grow the program’s ability to serve and train young African American artists. With a focus on training the total artist, Howard’s BFA Musical Theatre program strives to ensure that all students matriculate through the program prepared to compete in the competitive world of professional theatre. Additionally, Marty is the founder and CEO of Kinship Entertainment Group, LLC. Kinship is an entertainment company focused on producing faith-based entertainment and the training of future artists. Kinship’s work has premiered in Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

Marty has been featured in the Washington Post for his choral and instrumental works written for the 6th in the City Chorus of The Historic 6th and I Synagogue of Washington, D.C. A featured writer for the African American Lectionary and season reviewer for Shakespeare Theatre Company, Marty joined Carnegie Melon University as guest lecturer in the School of Drama, where he taught a course focused on the impact of systemic racism on the academy and profession of synthesized art.

Marty has been featured on stages throughout the United States and abroad. Some of Marty’s Theatrical Credits include: The Amen Corner (Brother Davis), Shakespeare Theatre Company; Little Shop of Horrors (Voice of Audrey II), Constellation Theatre; SPUNK (Folkman 2); ELF (Mr. Greenway), Olney Theatre; On the Brink (Storyteller), The Kennedy Center; Let Freedom Ring Concert (Dr. King), The Kennedy Center; Choir Boy (Headmaster), The Studio Theatre; Five Guys Named Moe (Big Moe); Ragtime (The Attorney, Ensemble), Portland Center Stage; Miss Ever’s Boy’s (Hodman), Off-Broadway; Big River (Jim), Mill Mountain Theatre; Hairspray (Seaweed), Weathervane Theatre; College: The Musical (Jay) Hippodrome Theatre; Lysistrata (Phaedrias) Athens, Greece; Dreamgirls (James “Thunder” Early) The Essential Theatre; Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope (Preacher, Lead), The Essential Theatre; CROWNS (Male), The Essential Theatre; The Exonerated (David), McGuire Blackbox; La Traviata (Barone), Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Marty is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association. Marty was recently nominated for the Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

Marty is honored to serve as the Director of Music and Creative Arts at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, Washington, D.C. Now entering his sixth year of service, Marty’s commitment to spirituality, musicianship and creativity have impacted growth and continue to support the church’s vision of global transformation through worship, liberation and service.

An impassioned advocate, practitioner and educator in the field, Marty is committed to the preservation and sharing of the HBCU’s legacy of training and producing stellar artists of the stage

SOPRANO

Rebecca Hasquet, section leader is an active soloist, chorister, and instructor in Southern California. She joined Pacific Chorale as a staff singer in 2018 and currently sits as the soprano section leader of the ensemble. Rebecca also holds the soprano choral lead position of the sanctuary choir at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Newport Beach. Her previous choral activities include Meistersingers in Orange, the Santa Clarita Master Chorale, the Chamber Choir at College of the Canyons, and the Summer Festival Choir at Idyllwild Arts Academy. Rebecca’s solo performance roles include Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira) and Le nozze di Figaro (Marcellina), Puccini’s La Rondine (Magda de Civry), Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier (The Marschallin), and Mozart’s Requiem. Rebecca also provides vocal coaching and writes commissioned music arrangements and transcriptions. In December 2018, she became the co-owner of By The Porchlights, a traveling venue for up-and-coming artists presenting acoustic pop-up shows and live recording sessions on porches and other outdoor spaces in Southern California. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where she studied with Brian Farrell and served as the soprano section leader of the Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Talberg.

Alexandria Burdick is a soprano born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. She comes from a very musical family and grew up as a performer both in choirs and musical theater, where she found a true calling to music and performance. She then moved to Orange County and recently received her Bachelor's in Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance from California State University, Fullerton. Since graduating, Alexandria has been working as a staff singer for the Grammy-Award-winning Pacific Chorale and performing locally in Orange County. Her time spent at CSUF and in Pacific Chorale have provided her many opportunities, and she is thrilled to now have been led to performing with the Pacific Symphony!

Since graduating with her master’s degree from the USC Thornton School of Music, Chelsea Chaves has sung with Pacific Chorale, soloed with Pacific Symphony, and performed at various private events around Los Angeles and Orange County. Chelsea is currently performing in Pacific Symphony’s Class Act program and is the Engagement and Education Coordinator for Long Beach Opera. In 2018, she was a recipient of a prestigious vocal scholarship from the Profant Foundation in Santa Barbara. Roles performed include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) with the Astoria Music Festival, Hanna Glawari (Die lustige Witwe) with Chapman University, and Lay Sister (Suor Angelica) with Opera Santa Barbara. She has also performed the roles of Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) and Adele (Die Fledermaus) for Pacific Symphony. Previous Young Artist Programs include OperaWorks, SongFest, the Astoria Music Festival and Musiktheater Bavaria. She was a finalist for the Loren L. Zachary Competition in 2015 and has sung the National Anthem at two Lakers games.

www.chelseachaves.com

Maria Cristina Kit Navarro, has given recitals, orchestral guest appearances and opera performances in Switzerland, the United States, Philippines and Austria. The Orange County Register describes her as “the gifted soprano… whose effortless production and lustrous, satiny tone were angelic”.. “a coloratura specialist whose portrayal has harvested special applause” according to the Badener Tagblatt. She has performed with the Biel, Basel and Baden Theaters of Switzerland, San Diego Opera, Los Angeles Opera, El Paso Opera, Long Beach Opera and Opera Pacific. Notable roles she has done were Queen of the Night, Olympia, Adina, Nerina, Najade and Pedro. She has done guest appearances for Stadtorchester Solothurn, Children’s Orchestra Society of New York, Pacific Symphony, Pacific Chorale, Long Beach Camerata Singers, Kalamazoo Symphony in Michigan, Corona del Mar Baroque Festival, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Filipino- American Symphony Orchestra, ABS-CBN Symphony Orchestra and Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Filipino Artist Series among others. Her solo soprano repertoire includes the Requiems of Faure, Brahms and Mozart, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Judas Maccabaeus and Dixit Dominus, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Bach’s St. John Passion and Cantata #51(Jauchzet Gott), Schubert’s Mass in G, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Mass in Cm, Exsultate Jubilate K. 165, etc. Kit has sung for the films Click and Lady in the Water with the LA Master Chorale, with the John Alexander Singers’ American Voices and Jake Heggie’s Choral Opera: The Radio Hour with Susan Graham. She has been a part of Andrea Bocelli’s Christmas concerts in California, the West Coast tour of Lord of the Rings with the Munich Symphony Orchestra and back- up vocals for Reba McEntire at the Hollywood Bowl. She has joined Pacific Chorale in its tours of Spain, Paris, Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Salzburg, UK and Phillip Glass’ 80th Birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall in NY. Kit received her Bachelor’s Degree in Voice at the University of the Philippines and her Diploma in Music Theater Studies at the Biel Conservatory-Musikschule in Switzerland. A first prize winner in the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA), she was also a recipient of the Migros Genossenschafts- Bund study grant and a first prize winner in the Elvira Luthi Wegmann Vocal Competition in Switzerland. She was recently presented the Excellence in Music Award by the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) in Los Angeles for her outstanding achievements and artistic contributions to the Filipino community. 

ALTO

Mezzo-soprano Jane Hyun-Jung Shim, a native of Korea, is known as a rich, clear and sensitive singer. Shim studied at Cal State University, Fullerton. While in school, she was coached as a soprano and has performed many soprano roles. She also won several competitions while in school. Shim is now a familiar face to Orange County choral music audiences as a mezzo-soprano. Since joining Pacific Chorale in 1999, she has appeared as a soloist in many works, including Bach’s B Minor Mass, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Duruflé’s Requiem, Verdi’s La Traviata, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Bach’s Magnificat, Haydn’s “Nelson” Mass, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, and many more. She has been a featured soloist with Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Musica Angelica, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Pacific Chorale, John Alexander Singers, Chorus America Conducting Academy, Berkshire Choral International, Long Beach Camerata Singers, Dallas Korean Master Chorale, Angeles Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Choir, Southern California Korean Christian Choir, Hour of Power Choir, CSU Fullerton University Singers and Azusa Pacific University. Shim’s international performances include the European premiere of Jake Heggie’s “He Will Gather Us Around” (from Dead Man Walking) at St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, and Franziskanerkirche (Franciscan Church of St. Jerome) in Vienna. She has also performed at Matthias Church in Budapest, Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) in Vienna, St Sulpice, St Étienne du Mont, St Louis en l’Île, and La Madeleine in Paris. Her beautiful solo work of Duruflé’s Requiem with Pacific Chorale’s Choral Festival 2011 led to a performance at Église St-Étienne-du-Mont, where Duruflé had been the titular organist.

Shim is currently the alto section leader of Pacific Chorale.

American mezzo-soprano Emily Border enjoys an active career as a chorister and soloist. Equally at home in a concert hall or the musical theater stage, her versatility of vocal styles and compelling dramatic communication have endeared her to audiences and directors throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Musical Theatre credits include Nellie in South Pacific, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Julia in The Wedding Singer, and others. No stranger to the opera world, Ms. Border has enjoyed performing as Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, and others. She joined Long Beach Opera’s outreach program in 2023, bringing opera to Long Beach area schools as Sam in The Playground King. Recently, she was understudy for both Hansel and the Witch for Pacific Symphony’s production of Hansel and Gretel for their Family Music Mornings. Next month, she will appear as the “Woman in Pants” for Orange County Lyric Opera’s production of Ethel Smyth’s Fête Gallante.

Ms. Border sings with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale, where she has been honored to sing under the batons of Grant Gershon, Rob Istad, Gustavo Dudamel, and Carl St.Clair. With the Pacific Chorale chamber group, she has previously been featured as a soloist on Montverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine and Hildegaard’s O Virdissima Virga. Pacific Chorale’s creative programming creates a consistent variety of musical and artistic opportunities, including the award-winning multimedia The Wayfaring Project, a concert film featured on PBS. By far, though, her most memorable experience with the Pacific Chorale family has been joining them for the summer 2023 European tour, bringing Florence Price’s Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight and Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis, “Nelson Mass'' to the people of Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Emily is also a frequent collaborator on recording projects, ranging from new choral works to progressive metal music, and everything in between.

Ms. Border holds a Bachelor’s Degree in music from the Biola University Conservatory of Music, and is a proud member of AGMA.

A free-spirited mezzo-soprano with a genuine passion for music, Denean Dyson is a true artist fervently driven to share the beauty and influence music holds. Classically trained yet accomplished in many genres, her additional vocal capabilities in R&B, soul, and jazz allow her to deliver a beautifully artistic sound imbued with skill and emotion in every performance. This Vegas-born chanteuse earned a B.A. in music ('11) from CSU Fullerton School of Music and immediately launched into a career as a professional artist, entertaining audiences in the US and abroad.

Denean’s incredible vocal agility has earned her the privilege of sharing a stage with many talented artists like renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, jazz and blues legend Barbara Morrison, and singer and actress Reba McEntire.

As a featured soloist, Denean has dominated the stage with notable compositions like Carole King’s “A Natural Woman,” “Satisfied” from Hamilton, “One Night Only” from Dreamgirls for Segerstrom’s Cabaret Series, “I Don’t Know” from Bernstein Mass with Pacific Chorale, “A Wonderful Guy” in South Pacific in Concert with Pacific Symphony, is showcased on Jake Heggie’s premiere choral opera The Radio Hour (Delos), and has headlined CSU Fullerton’s Concert Under the Stars.

Denean is honored to have sung for gifted conductors like Gustavo Dudamel, John Williams, Ludwig Wicki, John Alexander, Robert Istad, Carl St. Clair, Nicholas McGegan, and Keith Lockhart, in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Staples Center, Segerstrom Concert Hall, and more.

Based in Long Beach, Denean also leads her own group, Denean’s Soul Foundation, sharing fresh renditions of R&B, jazz and soul tunes from Motown to today’s pop hits at a variety of public and private venues and events.

Denean remains ever grateful that her life is full of music!

Stephanie Shepson is a mezzo-soprano, pianist and vocal music educator in Southern California. She began her music training with the piano and completed a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (2005). Following her studies, she worked as a middle and high school choral music educator in Texas. Continually drawn to the unique, expressive quality of the voice, she returned for a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Redlands (2019), studying with Patricia Gee. With an affinity for languages, she enjoys bringing to life lesser-performed works such as Swedish song cycles by Jean Sibelius and works by Estonian composers.

Shepson’s versatility for performance is evident in recent duet and solo appearances on Pacific Chorale chamber concerts, a European tour with the Pacific Chorale, and the role of Idamante in Mozart’s opera Idomeneo. Additionally, she has worked as staff accompanist for the University of Redlands Youth Choir and performed with the Boise Philharmonic Master Chorale.

Shepson is currently a staff singer with the Pacific Chorale. When not rehearsing or performing, she tends to a growing voice studio in Redlands and serves as a pianist and vocalist at Emmaus Church in Redlands, CA.

TENOR

Nicholas Preston, section leader, Roger W. Johnson memorial chair

Nicholas Preston raised by the Orange County Register as being “resonant and warm” and by the classical music site Bachtrack as “a ringing stentorian tenor”, Hawai’i native Nicholas Preston, is in demand as a soloist in Southern California and beyond, having performed throughout California, and touring as a soloist in France, Italy, and Spain. He has been a member of Pacific Chorale since 2002 and has frequently appeared as a soloist with the ensemble. Nicholas has also performed as a soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Claremont Chorale, Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, Cypress Masterworks Chorale, and The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. He has worked under the batons of John Alexander, Carl St. Clair, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Nicholas McGegan, Kent Nagano, John Mauceri, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Grant Gershon and Gustavo Dudamel. Nicholas’ solo appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Horatio Parker’s Hora Novissima, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, Bach’s B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Handel's Messiah and Judas Maccabeus, and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem.

Tenor Daniel Coy Babcock continues to enjoy a career as soloist, chorister and vocal instructor in the greater Los Angeles region and beyond. The Orange County Register has written that Mr. Babcock “…sang with projective ease and unadorned phrasing: a heartfelt and unostentatious performance.” Mr. Babcock sang the roles of Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress with Opera UCLA. He was a featured soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion in both the finale concert of the Los Angeles Bach Festival and in Pacific Chorale’s performance of the same masterwork in collaboration with Musica Angelica. Mr. Babcock sang the tenor solos in Stravinsky’s Les Noces at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as part of a touring production by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. He can be heard as the tenor soloist in Pacific Chorale’s recording of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers.

Mr. Babcock served for seven seasons as tenor section leader of Pacific Chorale and is an active member of the ensemble. He has sung with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Clarion Singers, LA Schola and Bach Collegium San Diego. He has appeared as a member of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus in thirty-six mainstage productions and is a staff singer in the Choir of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral. Mr. Babcock spent eleven years as a member of the Classical Voice Conservatory faculty at Orange County School of the Arts and plans to teach at the collegiate level after the completion of his doctoral studies in voice. He earned a Master of Music degree in voice performance from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts degree in musical theatre from the University of Redlands. Mr. Babcock is currently studying with Professor Michael E. Dean in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at UCLA.

Saunder Choi is a Los Angeles-based Filipino composer and choral artist whose works have been performed internationally by various groups including Conspirare, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, World Youth Choir, Brightwork New Music, People Inside Electronics, and many others. As an arranger and orchestrator, Saunder has written for Tony-Award winner Lea Salonga, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, etc.

As a choral artist, he sings with Pacific Chorale, L.A. Choral Lab, HEX Vocal Ensemble, as well as in film scores such as the soundtrack of Disney’s The Lion King (2019), Mulan (2020), Turning Red (2022), Nope (2022), Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022), etc.

Saunder believes in music as advocacy, using the media as a platform for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice. His compositions are focused on narratives and conversations surrounding immigration, racial justice, LGBTQ+ advocacy, climate justice, and representations of his identity as a Filipino-Chinese. He is currently Director of Music at Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica and a teaching artist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. saunderchoi.com

, Ron Gray Legacy Chair

Sammy Salvador, tenor, received his B.A. in Music Education and his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music from Cal State Fullerton. He has been singing with Pacific Chorale for the past five years and has been featured as a soloist in The Wayfaring Project. He is currently the choir director at Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School in Eastvale, and the new Director of Music at Church of the Foothills in Santa Ana. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Vocal Association as the Jr. High Honor Choir Chair. Sammy has served as section leader at the Idyllwild Summer Arts Camp and the Pacific Chorale Choir Camp. Sammy previously sang under Rob Istad at Cal State Fullerton and has had the opportunity to travel all around the world, performing in concerts in Paris, New York, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Russia, and Spain. Sammy has been honored to be a featured soloist in works such as Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Tarik O’Regan’s The Ecstasies Above, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, and Israel in Egypt, Herbert Howells’ Requiem, David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion and in Dale Trumbore’s debut album How To Go On. Sammy has performed with the Long Beach Camerata Singers, Pacific Chorale, and Choral Arts Initiative.

BASS

Ryan Thomas Antal, section leader, Ron Gray Legacy Chair. Antal currently resides in Long Beach, where he received a bachelor’s degree in voice performance and choral education from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach. While there, he regularly performed with the Opera Institute and Chamber Singers. Antal served as the Minister of Music at Garden Grove Presbyterian Church, bass section leader/soloist at both Geneva Presbyterian Church, Lakewood Village Community Church, and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church before arriving in his current post as bass section leader/soloist for St. Matthias Episcopal Church in Whittier. He has a long-standing history with Arrowbear Music Camp as a student counselor, coach, and conductor. Antal was a member of the inaugural Golden Bridge project with Suzi Digby and has performed regularly with the Orange County Choral Society and the DeAngelis Vocal Ensemble. As an Orange County native, Antal is thrilled to be enjoying his 11th season with Pacific Chorale and his third serving as the bass section leader.

Hailing from rainy Washington state, Michael Fagerstedt is a baritone/bass vocalist and educator. With over two years serving as a staff singer for the Pacific Chorale, Michael has been a featured soloist at the annual Carols by Candlelight performance and in Pacific Chorale’s Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. He has also served as a featured soloist and cantor at St. Juliana Falconieri Catholic Church. Michael's vocal journey includes choral performances with Kathleen Battle, Andrea Bocelli, and John Williams at iconic venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Honda Center, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. During his time at California State University, Fullerton, studying under Janet Smith, Michael fondly remembers touring Spain with the University Singers and being a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall. After graduating with his Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance, Michael coached young singers in competitive show choir settings, and currently, he shares his passion for music as an elementary music teacher in Southern California.

Jared Daniel Jones, originally from Ellijay, Georgia, is at the beginning of his singing career based in Los Angeles with his most recent engagements being with the LA Opera chorus in performances of Verdi’s Aida, Il Trovatore and Wagner’s Tannhauser. A recent graduate of the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA with a Master of Music degree in voice performance, Jared performs throughout Southern California with several ensembles including the LA Master Chorale, LA Opera Chorus, and Pacific Chorale. He recently made his debut with the Miami based ensemble Seraphic Fire. Jared’s operatic repertoire includes world premiere performances of leading roles in two newly composed one-act operas by UCLA student composers, a leading role in UCLA’s world premiere production of Lost Childhood by Janice Hamer, and Marco in Pacific Opera Project’s production of Gianni Schicchi. Jared placed first at the National Association of Teachers of Singing national competition in 2015, was a semifinalist in the Classical Singer Vocal Competition in 2016, was a winner of the 2018 All-Star competition at UCLA, and won the 2019 Fine arts club of Pasadena vocal competition. Jared received his bachelor's degree in voice performance from the University of Georgia in 2017.

Matthew Kellaway is a professional singer, teacher, and conductor known for his warm and rich baritone voice as well as his versatility of style in music. He has been a soloist with the Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Disney's Candlelight Concerts, and has sung with Disney's Voices of Liberty, The John Alexander Singers, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Over the past ten years, Matthew has been the director of Men’s Chorus and private voice instructor at Biola University and also directed the Tenor/Bass Chorale, Treble Chorale, and Musical Theatre Ensemble at Fullerton College. Matthew currently serves as Operations Manager for Contra-Tiempo, a professional dance company out of the Los Angeles area.

To the Hands features the participation of the following musicians of Delirium Musicum:
Etienne Gara, Violin and Artistic Director
YeuEun Kim, Violin
SungJin Lee, Viola
Javier Iglesias Martin, Cello
Ryan Baird, Bass

Delirium Musicum, founded in 2018 by violin virtuoso Etienne Gara, harnesses the artistic excellence, energy, and leadership of a generation of young musicians in Los Angeles who are forging a rich musical identity nourished by the city’s bustling artistic mosaic and boundary-bending vibe. Their diverse backgrounds (nine countries from four continents represented), their commitment to spontaneity, and the juxtaposition of music from all time periods allows the musicians to engage intimately with the audience to create profound human experiences.

Called “ferocious and rhythmically mesmerizing” by San Francisco Classical Voice, the musicians of Delirium Musicum are known for their out-of-the-box approach to programming and scintillating live performances. “This exciting young ensemble is a step ahead, ready for anything – virtuosic and versatile” (Los Angeles Times).

The orchestra’s wide-ranging mix of concert performances, tours, and creative musical projects reaches out to audiences of broad tastes and traditions. “Seasons,” the ensemble’s debut album with Warner Classics, was released in April 2023.

Recent projects include “Treelogy,” a collaboration with leading composers Billy Childs, Steven Mackey, and Gabriella Smith. The three-part work, commissioned by The Soraya in Los Angeles and premiered there in February 2023 before touring in California, produced three new commissions honoring the iconic California Joshua trees, giant sequoias, and redwoods that were devastated by recent wild fires. The LA Times called it a “sublime, classical ode to California’s redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees.”

MusiKaravan, an earlier project, followed Gara and fellow violinist YuEun Kim as they took to the road in 2020 after COVID shut down concert venues around the world. Living and traveling in their 1971 VW bus, they spent six months performing socially-distanced concerts for farm workers, winemakers, random passersby – and the occasional ostrich - up and down the West Coast of the U.S., from the Mexican to the Canadian border. The experience and the music were captured on video for their award-winning streaming series “Musikaravan.” The project continues as duo and trio performances of lively repertoire and audience give-and-take.

Engaged in the musical, emotional, and cognitive development of future generations, “Baby Concerts”, with the support of University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, offer a safe space for parents with infants and toddlers to share an interactive musical moment being introduced to melody, rhythm, music-making, and a short, lightly-curated performance.Delirium Musicum has received a string of awards, including a Global Music Awards Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement, and the 2020, 2021, and 2023 Audience Choice Awards from San Francisco Classical Voice in 3 different categories: Best Chamber Music Ensemble, Best New Music Ensemble, and Best Orchestral Performance for SEASONS at the Soraya in May 2023.

deliriummusicum.com

David Clemensen is active as a pianist, teacher, church musician, and composer. A native Californian, he holds degrees from Chapman University, CSU Fullerton, and the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano from USC. The 2017-2018 season is his fifteenth as pianist for Pacific Chorale. He may be heard on several of the John Alexander Singer’s recordings, including The Radio Hour: Choral Music of Jake Heggie.

David is in demand throughout Southern California as a collaborator and coach. He has taught at Biola University and Fullerton College, and maintains a private studio as an accompanist and teacher. Often called upon to lead music for events of the C. S. Lewis Foundation, he directed the Service of Dedication for the Study Center at Lewis’ home, the Kilns, at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, England.

A lifelong church musician, David is Director of Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ontario. His compositions have been performed by many choirs throughout the U.S, and he won the American Orff-Schulwerk competition for his William Blake setting The Tyger and the Lamb.

He joins BCI in Fullerton for the first time.  

Mila Gonzales grew up in Elk Grove, California. She danced competitively from age nine throughout high school; training in styles such as hip hop, contemporary, ballet, tap, and jazz. She also taught classes as well as choreographed routines at the studio her senior year of high school, and the year after during the Pandemic while she attended her first year of college at home.

While attending college, Mila choreographed a contemporary fusion piece called “Title Vll”, which focused on social justice, for the dance programs spring dance concert. She also choreographed a hip hop piece for CSUF’s 12x16 performance called “One Way Mirror”, in collaboration with two other dancers. Additionally, she self-choreographed a contemporary solo called “Loss Aversion”. During her time at CSUF, Mila worked with faculty Macarena Gandarillas and Joshua Estrada-Romero in concert pieces, as well as guest artists such as Yoshito Sakuraba, Sadie Windberg, Jamila Glass, and Brad Beakes. She was also a part of the Dance Association, as a Publicist her junior year, and Event coordinator her senior year. Mila graduated magna cum laude, from California State University, Fullerton, in May 2024 with a BA in dance and a minor in women and gender studies.

Since graduating, Mila has been working with the au.thenticity dance training company and has now been accepted as a guest dancer at Mounarath Powell Dance.

Dance to her is safety, love, and power. Mila is inspired by hip hop and contemporary movement and art. She tends to lean towards quick sharp movement, with moments of smooth isolated movement. Mila’s goal as an artist is to learn, create, encourage, and inspire.

Sophia Bernardo is a 23-year-old dancer from Huntington Beach, California. She is a current company member with FUSE Dance company, based in Orange County, and Nancy Evans Dance Theater, based in Pasadena.

She has trained in many styles of dance including Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary, and most recently trained at California State University, Fullerton where received two degrees, one being a BA in Dance as well as a BA in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. While at California State University, Fullerton she was able to learn about many styles of modern including Graham, Limón, Horton, and Dunham. In previous years Sophia Bernardo trained at Huntington Academy of Dance where she focused on Cecchetti Ballet and Contemporary movement.

She has been to many summer intensives and workshops including a 3-week long workshop at SUNY Purchase in New York for the Doug Varone and Dancers summer workshop. She has also taken the Backhaus summer intensive, two summers in a row, as well as the Cecchetti summer intensive two summers in a row.

She has performed works from Doug Varone, Jamila Glass, Brad Beakes, Yoshito Sakaruba, Michael-Nickerson Rossi, Clarence Brookes, Stephanie Liapis, Nancy Evans Doede, Courtney Ozovek, and Meg Mandorin.

She has had the opportunity to perform at the American College Dance Association, Palm Springs International Dance Festival, SoCal Dance and Choreography Festival, Reborn Dance Festival, Elder Star Art Gallery, Red Rocks Dance Festival, and Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival.

She has also had the opportunity of co-choreographing a piece titled “Lavanertia” which has been performed at California State University, Fullerton’s Fall Dance Concert, the American College Dance Association, the California Dance Educators Association, and DUMBO Dance Festival in Brooklyn, New York.

Julia Atkinson, a native of Orange, California, is a dedicated dancer and dance educator who has recently graduated with a BA in Dance from California State University, Fullerton. While at CSU Fullerton, Julia was a member of their dance repertory company, where she was able to perform works by accomplished choreographers such as Yoshito Sakuraba, Brad Beakes, Stephanie Liapis, and Sadie Weinberg. She has performed at the Claire Trevor Theater as part of the American College Dance Association Conference, the Grand Central Art Center, the Clayes Performing Arts Center, and the Waltmar Theater. Most recently, Julia performed in Brooklyn, New York at the Mark Morris dance center as part of White Wave dance company's Dumbo Dance festival. She has attended the Martha Graham Dance Company summer and winter intensives in New York, the Kanopy Dance Company summer intensive in Wisconsin, and the Backhaus Dance summer intensive. She is interested in performing roles that celebrate authenticity and blend the lines between dance, theater, and film. As she continues evolving as a dancer and educator, Julia eagerly anticipates the next chapter of her dance career.

Erik Jaimes, a 21-year-old dancer and choreographer from San Diego, has dedicated nearly a decade to his craft. He was inspired to dance in his teens but began exploring the intricacies of choreographing in college. During his time receiving his Bachelors of Arts in Dance at CSU Fullerton, he refined his artistry and skills under the mentorship of esteemed professors. He also worked with artist such as Brad Beakes, Jamila Glass, Yoshito Sakaruba, & Sadie Weinberg. Their guidance further inspired him to pursue choreography in new forms that push boundaries. Some of his notable highlights include the 2023 DUMBO Dance Festival in New York, where he performed "Lavanertia" by CSUF alumni Sophia Bernardo & Leila Massoudi. Most recently, Erik's piece "Temiqui" garnered Gala recognition at the 2024 ACDA Baja Conference.

Emily Kelley, born and raised in the Inland Empire, developed a fond love of dance at 10 years old. She started taking classes frequently at her local dance studio, training in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, and tumbling. She competed solos, duos, and trios winning various overall awards and titles at competitions such as Kar, Move, Star Systems, Rainbow, and Act 1. She also danced in various ballets, including Swan Lake as Odette, Nutcracker as the Sugarplum, and Alice in Wonderland as Alice. During this time she taught a wide age range of students in various styles and coached competition teams.

After graduation, she studied at Cal State Fullerton earning a BA in Dance and a BS in Communication Disorders. Here she had the opportunity to train with Debra Noble, Alvin Rangel, Lisa Long, and Muriel Joyce in a range of styles, from Dunham, to Graham, to Limon, to Horton. In her time at CSUF she performed many guest works and faculty pieces, including “Umbra: The Darkest Part of the Shadow” choreographed by Yoshito Sakuraba, “Zephyr” choreographed by Sadie Weinberg, “Summer’s Night” choreographed by Muriel Joyce, and more. Additionally, she choreographed her own works for the main-stage including “Monotonous Mundane” and “Presence”. Post graduation she dances professionally with Calliopus Contemporary and shares her love of dance as an elementary dance teacher.

Lauren Kennedi Ozie Dixon is an innovator, designer, and creative. Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Southern Mississippi, her artistry has primarily occurred within the sectors of lighting design and creative production. Lauren earned her BFA from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she created both her own major and her own freelance company. The title of the major was Innovative Design for Production and Live Events with a concentration in Lighting Design. Lauren also has a minor in education and is deeply moved by how performance education allows students to learn collaboration strategies, emotional processing, regulation and expression tactics. Her company, kaLeiDoscope Designs, pushed her through her undergraduate matriculation to learn to play, explore, and imagine lighting through the lens of a Black Woman. Lauren is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and an advocate for serving her community, specifically through Theater education. Lauren is entering her final year as a MFA candidate in the Lighting Design Program at the California Institute of the Arts. Ultimately she hopes to create work that emphasizes art as a tool of freedom, a tool of self-care, and a place where the imagination can provoke change in reality and “Light the Way '' to a better world.

COURTNEY OZOVEK is a dance artist, choreographer, and educator rooted in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. She has been the founding member of BARE Dance Company, RhetOracle Dance Company, and Solevita Dance Company. Her personal work has been presented in California, Arizona, Alaska, and Guantanamo Bay, as well as in shows at Universal Studies, Disneyland, and private corporate events. She is currently in her thirteenth year as a Dance faculty at CSU Fullerton and has most recently completed her MFA in Dance from CSU Long Beach. She is grateful to have worked with artists such as Keith Johnson, Andrew Vaca, Rebecca Lemme, Rebecca Bryant, Colleen Thomas, Gladys Kares, Debra Noble, and Macarena Gandarillas. 

Omar Ramos has designed lighting, sound, and video for theatre, dance, opera, and film. His design and associate design credits from across the U.S. include the Goodman Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Chicago), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ), Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland), and San Diego Repertory Theatre. He has collaborated on numerous dance and movement pieces with Wallpaper Performance Company, PADL West, and UC Riverside faculty and experimental choreography students. In 2022, he was recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Awards Committee for his video design on Brown Face by Carissa Atallah. Prior to his appointment at CSUF, Ramos taught courses for both undergraduates and graduates at UC Irvine and UC San Diego. Ramos received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design with a dual focus in lighting and sound from the University of California, San Diego. He is most interested in work that outreaches to children, veterans, survivors of domestic abuse, and their families. He also gravitates to work that sheds light on the politics of race and serves LGBT+ communities. More information about his work can be found at omarramosdesign.com

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:

I am dedicated to the crafting of a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, free of discrimination based on racial and ethnic origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, social economic status, or religious belief. I acknowledge the spheres in which I have privilege and seek to leverage that privilege to amplify underrepresented voices. I have been and will continue to be committed to working to build a more diverse and inclusive environment, through teaching, mentoring, and research.

Led by Christian Amonson, Arts Laureate is a team of recording engineers located throughout the US who specialize in classical and acoustic music. Projects span top-tier professional ensembles as well as scholastic and community groups.

artslaureate.com

Arielle Hightower she/her (Stage Manager) is a recent graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor's in Theatre Arts with an Emphasis in Stage Management. She has both theatre and television experience to her name. Arielle most recently served as the stage manager for I Sell Windows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland this August. She was the Assistant Stage Manager for Andi Chapman's The Bluest Eye and Gregg T. Daniels's King Hedley II, both at A Noise Within Theatre. In addition, Arielle was the Assistant Stage Manager for Desean K. Terry's Lines in the Dust and Guillermo Cienfuegos's Middle of the World at The Matrix Theatre. She has also worked as an audience coordinator for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Voice, and The Talk. Arielle is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful team and would like to thank God, her Mom, Alex, Josh, Marty, and the rest of the team at the Pacific Chorale for allowing her to join on a beautiful show.