Los Angeles-born conductor Emmanuel Rojas served as an assistant conductor of the USC Thornton Symphony for music director Carl St. Clair and resident conductor Sharon Lavery. He also presented concerts with members and alumni of the USC Symphony Orchestra. In Spring 2024, Emmanuel served as a conductor for the Bard Opera Workshop and assisted maestro James Bagwell for the Bard Vocal Art Program’s production of Jacques Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers. He also presented scenes from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier with singers of the Bard Vocal Arts Program and the Orchestra Now (TŌN) as part of his graduation recital. Emmanuel is currently assistant conductor of the Santa Clarita Symphony.

Emmanuel was a participant in the 2025 Spokane Symphony International Conducting Workshop with Johannes Schlaefli and James Lowe, the International Conducting Workshop & Festival with Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher, the Winter/Summer Baltimore Chamber Orchestra Conducting Workshop with Markand Thakar, and the Conductor’s Institute at Bard with Harold Farberman. At the USC he studied opera conducting with Brent McMunn, orchestral conducting with Larry Livingston and choral conducting with Tram Sparks. At the Bard Conservatory of Music, Emmanuel studied with James Bagwell and Leon Botstein.

As a bass trombonist, Emmanuel has performed with the American Symphony Orchestra for the 2022 Bard SummerScape production of Richard Strauss’ Die schweigsame Frau, the Burbank Philharmonic, the Downey Symphony, and the Santa Monica Symphony. Also, as guest artist of the Bard College Conservatory Orchestra, Emmanuel has worked with Grammy/Academy Award winner and Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Tan Dun. He also performed with Bill Cunliffe’s BACHanalia Big Band and was part of the US-premiere of Bob Mintzer’s People Music with the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra, commissioned by the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern of the Vienna Philharmonic. Emmanuel studied with John Lofton of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at CSULB and Terry Cravens of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra at USC.

Emmanuel received a BM in Bass Trombone performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach in 2015. He later went on to earn his MM in Bass Trombone performance at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in 2017. He stayed at the Thornton School of Music to pursue a DMA by majoring in Bass Trombone performance, with elective concentrations in Opera Conducting (opera conducting with Brent McMunn, choral conducting with Tram Sparks, stage direction with Ken Cazan, and voice with Rodney Gilfry), Arts Leadership (with Kenneth Foster), and Music Theory/Analysis (with Ted Hearne). After finishing his doctoral coursework, Emmanuel went on to receive a MM in Orchestral Conducting from the Bard College Conservatory of Music in the Spring of 2024.

Conducting Fellow – Oliver Chan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of internationally acclaimed pianist Walter Ponce. Oliver has been a featured pianist, conductor, and music educator throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area. Oliver is the music director of Opera Italia, an opera company based in Los Angeles, and a staff accompanist at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he works closely with renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov. He has also worked as the assistant conductor at La Sierra University Opera Theatre, an accompanist at Santa Monica College, and the chorusmaster at Numi Opera. At the BCCM, Oliver conducts the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and coaches voice students in the Opera Institute while pursuing his master’s degree in orchestral conducting. He currently studies with Dr. Johannes Müller Stosch and has studied with Dr. Jacob Sustaita and Dr. Dean Anderson.

Pola Benke is a distinguished conductor and cellist, recognized for her dynamic approach and deep commitment to musical excellence. Currently serving as Assistant Conductor for both the Long Beach Symphony and the Riverside Philharmonic, she has quickly risen in the world of conducting, combining her talent and dedication with a profound understanding of musical intricacies.

Born in Poland, Pola’s early immersion in music led her to pursue Master’s degree in cello performance and later, orchestral conducting. This solid foundation, coupled with her passion for music, has shaped her unique artistic vision.

Her early career was marked by significant opportunities, including selection for a prestigious summer program with Maestro Neeme Järvi. This experience was a key milestone, allowing her to further hone her craft. She was also invited to the Dartington Music Festival in England as a Fellow Conductor, where she worked under Sian Edwards, and participated in the esteemed Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, collaborating with Cristian Macelaru. Her recent participation in the Järvi Academy in Estonia, under the direction of Paavo Järvi, further solidified her reputation as a rising star in the classical music community.

As an accomplished cellist, Pola Benke understands the intricacies of musical performance and how to communicate with musicians to achieve the desired artistic interpretation. Her background as a musician has also given her the ability to analyze and interpret scores with a high level of detail, enabling her to lead ensembles with precision and nuance. This knowledge and experience are invaluable assets in the craft of conducting and allow her to bring a unique perspective to her work as a conductor. ”Her leadership results in performances that are both precise and emotionally compelling”.

Pola is also a passionate advocate for contemporary music and frequently collaborates with living composers to premiere new works. She is committed to promoting female artists and often features their compositions in her programs. Her musical influences include Krzysztof Penderecki, Igor Stravinsky, Thomas Adès, Jennifer Higdon, and the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. She is currently living in Redondo Beach with her husband and their dog, Bobby.

Daniel Gee is a conductor, composer, and educator based out of Southern California where he is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California.   His present conducting duties include serving as Assistant Conductor of the Long Beach Symphony, Associate Conductor of the USC Apollo Chorus, and as the Artistic Director of Choirs at Evergreen Baptist Church of San Gabriel Valley.  He has previously served as Associate Conductor of the USC Oriana Women’s Choir, during which he commissioned and premiered a new choral work for treble voices by composer Emma Lou Diemer. Other conducting duties have included serving as Guest Conductor of the Global Harmony Symphony, Associate Conductor of the USC University Chorus, and Assistant Conductor of the Westmont Orchestra.

As a composer, he has fulfilled commissions for ensembles in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles music communities, including the Quire of Voyces, the Westmont Orchestra, and College Choir,  and the Westridge School Chamber Orchestra. His choral music has been published by Colla Voce Music on the Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series. Daniel has taught as an adjunct instructor of theory and composition at Westmont College, where he also founded the Westmont chapter of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honors society.

Daniel received his Master of Music degree from USC where he studied conducting with Jo-Michael Scheibe and Nick Strimple and composition with Morten Lauridsen and Sean Friar.  Daniel completed his undergraduate work at Westmont College, majoring in both Music Composition and Philosophy, where he was graduated summa cum laude as First Senior of his class.

Daniel also continues his work as a string educator, having taught private cello for over ten years. He has lead rehearsals and sectionals for youth orchestras across the Greater Los Angeles area including the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra.