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.

Conductor, Music Director and Pianist Evan Roider maintains an active schedule performing across the United States and abroad.  Equally at home on the symphonic stage and in the pit, he is quickly becoming known as a conductor of great versatility. Currently, he serves as Music Director/Conductor for the National Tour of Wicked, having toured with Les Misérables and Cats. The 2022-2023 season included appearances with Pacific Symphony and The Manhattan Transfer, Tucson Symphony and Pink Martini, and a return engagement with the Greensboro Symphony and Michael Feinstein, celebrating the Judy Garland Centennial. He recently assisted on Pops concerts with the Dallas Symphony, and in 2023-2024, assists on programs with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap.  This season, he returns to Tucson Symphony, makes his debut with Sarasota Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, and Toledo Symphony, and continues to conduct Wicked across North America.

As a Music Director, Evan has led productions of Mack and Mabel, A Chorus Line, Company, Into the Woods, The Music Man, Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, and The Wizard of Oz, among others. He was the Assistant Conductor for Candide at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and in 2019, was awarded the Best Music Director award from Broadway World CT for his work on Evita (ACT of Connecticut).  Active in the development of new works, Evan spent two summers at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center as part of the National Musical Theater Conference as well as the Cabaret & Performance Conference.  In 2014, he served as music director and pianist for Broadway in Ravello (Italy), a production that was broadcast on Italian National Television, and in 2013, he premiered new arrangements of Leonard Bernstein works at Grand Performances Los Angeles.  At Barrington Stage, he was the Associate Music Director for the critically acclaimed production of The Pirates of Penzance, a production the New York Times called, “exhilarating”.

As a pianist, Evan is a strong advocate of new music, having worked with composers Jake Heggie, William Bolcom, Gwyneth Walker, and Ben Moore, among others.  In 2014, he made his debut in China with Cardiff Singer of the World Yang Guang and in 2015, he spearheaded a residency featuring Jake Heggie and Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking).  He has performed at SongFest, Liederfest, the Indiana University Summer Music Festival, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, and the New Orleans International Piano Competition Institute, having coached with Graham Johnson, Martin Katz, William Bolcom, Nelita True, John Perry, Margo Garrett, and Aldo Ciccolini, among others.

Evan is a graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Masters in Orchestral Conducting.  He received the Bachelor of Music from the Hartt School under the instruction of Anne Koscielny and David Westfall.

“Of all that abides here, it’s the consistency of the music direction that impresses the most.”      – Chicago Tribune

“Under the musical direction of Conductor Evan Roider, the orchestration is wonderful and well-balanced.” – MD Theatre Guide

“I am so proud when young musicians initiate a project that addresses the arts, politics and social justice. Evan is doing that.” – Jake Heggie

Conductor Herb Smith is widely known in both the classical and jazz worlds as an exciting performer who inspires musicians and audiences wherever he goes.  Whether he is performing, conducting, teaching or composing, Herb’s expression of music draws from his multifaceted and dynamic musical experiences from around the world.

Voted “Best Instrumentalist” of Rochester 2022 by City Magazine, Herb currently holds the third trumpet position in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the principal trumpet position in the Gateways Festival Orchestra which made their Carnegie Hall debut in April 2022. Herb also serves as principal trumpet in the Gateways Brass Collective, a nationally touring professional brass quintet, sponsored by Conn-Selmer. Being a highly sought after lead trumpeter has afforded Herb the opportunity to play with such notable musicians as Jeff Beck, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, the O’Jays, Johnny Mathis, and Doc Severinsen, to name but a few. He has been a frequent guest soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Rochester Philharmonic.

Herb’s Freedom Trio (composed of trumpet played through electronics, bass and drums) can be seen in performances around the country. This funky, eclectic group, a frequent guest at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, offers its “idiosyncratic yet charming melodies” (City Magazine) in concerts and festivals around the world.

As a composer, Herb has been commissioned by brass ensembles, high school choirs, jazz ensembles and trumpet ensembles in addition to writing for his jazz trio and the Gateways Brass Collective. Herb’s “The Twelve Tones of Christmas,” composed for trumpet, piano and voice, premiered in Carnegie Hall in 2008. Tony Award winning choreographer Garth Fagan commissioned Herb to write a ballet for his Children’s Ensemble. The resulting forty minute, six part work ranged across many styles, including reggae, classical, jazz and funk.

Herb is a regular guest conductor with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He frequently conducts the Symphoria orchestra based in Syracuse, NY and currently directs the Eastman Youth Jazz Ensemble. He also guest conducts for All-State and All-County Bands, Orchestras and Jazz Ensembles all across New York State. Herb recently conducted and curated a Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Brass performance of Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” at a Black Lives Matter rally and a concert honoring Harriet Tubman. This performance united the City of Rochester, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and neighborhood churches in honor of Tubman’s bicentennial celebration.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Herb is a trumpet instructor at the Eastman Community Music School. He also leads masterclasses and offers lectures on trumpet technique, endurance and sound production. From universities to elementary schools, Herb is frequently invited to serve as teacher, teaching artist and clinician. He co-founded Herb’s City Trumpets, a program that mentors and teaches trumpet to Black students aged 8 to 17, in partnership with the Rochester City School District.

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.

Southern California native Mark Alpízar has enjoyed a multifaceted career as a conductor, clarinetist, and music educator throughout the United States. He is the music director of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and is currently a regular guest conductor of the Holland Symphony in Michigan, the conductor for Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, and the cover conductor of the Alabama Symphony. Prior to his move to Vermont, he was the assistant conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Cleveland Pops Youth, the American Youth Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, and your Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He holds a doctorate in orchestra and opera conducting from Arizona State University as well as masters and bachelors degrees from the Cole Conservatory of Music.

Berklee-trained arranger/conductor Brent Havens has written music for orchestras, feature films, and virtually every kind of television. His TV work includes movies for networks such as ABC, CBS, and ABC; Family Channel Network; commercials; sports music for networks such as ESPN; and even cartoons. Havens has also worked with the Doobie Brothers and the Milwaukee Symphony arranging and conducting the combined group for Harley Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Birthday Party Finale attended by over 150,000 fans. He has worked with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and the BBC Concert Orchestra in London; the CBSO in Birmingham, England; the Malaysian Philharmonic; the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Pittsburgh Symphony; the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; the Houston Symphony; the Atlanta Symphony; the Baltimore Symphony; the Dallas Symphony; the Fort Worth Symphony; the Nashville Symphony; Orchestra of Opera North in Leeds, England; and countless others.

Havens recently completed the score for the film “Quo Vadis,” a Premier Pictures remake of the 1956 gladiator film. In 2013, he worked with the Baltimore Symphony and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens to arrange and produce the music for the Thanksgiving Day halftime show between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers adapting both classical music and rock songs into a single four-minute show. Havens is Arranger/Guest Conductor for all of the symphonic rock programs for Windborne Music.

American conductor, Anthony Parnther, is the Music Director and Conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and the Southeast Symphony & Chorus in Los Angeles. He has conducted artists spanning every musical genre, including Joshua Bell, Jessye Norman, Yundi Li, Lynn Harrell, Frederica von Stade, Roderick Williams, Canadian Brass, Jennifer Holliday, Kanye West, Imagine Dragons, Omar Apollo, Ry X, and Alan Walker.

His recent guest conducting engagements include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Mann Center Festival Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, Jacaranda – Music at the Edge, Hear Now Music Festival, Pittsburgh Microtonal Festival, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, BrightworkNewMusic, and the World Opera Forum in Madrid, Spain.

On the scoring stages of Los Angeles, London, Nashville, and San Francisco, Anthony has conducted recording sessions for many international feature film, television, and video game projects, including Encanto, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Turning Red, Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild, League of Legends, American Dad, The Adam Project, Slumberland, Star Wars: Book of Boba Fett, Tenet, Arcane, Cheaper By The Dozen, Lost City, Little, The Hunt, Fargo, The Way Back, The Night Of, and 4400.

He has premiered or recorded works by Anthony Davis, George Walker, Florence Price, Zenobia Powell Perry, Errollyn Wallen, John Wineglass, Gary Powell Nash, Marian Harrison, Renee Baker, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, James Wilson, Phillip Herbert, Daniel Kidane, Chanda Dancy, and James Newton. In 2015, Anthony was profiled by Los Angeles’ KCET/TV as a “Local Hero” for his extensive community outreach and advocacy for the performance of works by Black, Latino, and Women artists.

In addition to conducting, Anthony is an active bassoonist and contrabassoonist and has recorded on an extensive list of film and television soundtracks by Hollywood’s preeminent composers, including John Williams, Terrence Blanchard, Alexandre Desplat, Danny Elfman, Bruce Broughton, Michael Giacchino, Mychael Danna, Ludwig Goransson, David Newman, John Powell, Alan Silvestri, and Hans Zimmer. Recent projects he has performed on include Star Wars: Episode IX -The Rise of Skywalker, The Simpsons, Animaniacs, Looney Tunes, Family Guy, Lion King, Coming 2 America, Mulan, Empire, The Kominsky Method, Only Murders in the Building, Moana, Suicide Squad, Star Trek Beyond, and countless more.

Anthony studied at Northwestern University and Yale University and resides in Los Angeles.

The 2024-2025 season marks Morihiko Nakahara’s 17th season as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic. He is also Resident Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Nakahara serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Added to his wideranging activities with these orchestras, Nakahara also guest conducts with other orchestras throughout the country.

Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, recent guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, symphonies of Oregon, Jacksonville, Charleston, Chattanooga, Stockton, Lansing, Peoria, and Green Bay, as well as with the Chicago Pro Musica.

Equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles and concert formats, Nakahara has collaborated with Chris Botti, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Edgar Meyer, Brandi Carlile, Pink Martini, Sergio Mendes, and Roby Lakatos to name a few. A tireless champion for the music of our times, Nakahara recently led world premieres of works by Joan Tower, Dan Visconti, and John Fitz Rogers, and has led numerous U.S. premieres of works by Japanese composers. A passionate believer in audience development and music education for all, Nakahara is a popular clinician, guest conductor, and lecturer at various educational institutions. As a personable ambassador for classical music, he is regularly featured on local media outlets and speaks about wide-ranging topics including arts advocacy, leadership and management, and economic development at local businesses and service organizations.

A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. He previously served as Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Holland Symphony Orchestra (Michigan), and served on the faculty at Eastern Washington University and Andrews University. Nakahara, his wife Lesley Hogg, and their cats Rosina and Figaro reside in Northampton, MA.

Stay in touch with Nakahara via Twitter and Instagram.

Susie Benchasil Seiter is a prolific conductor and orchestrator for film, television, video games, and live concerts. She recently completed a 120 city worldwide orchestra tour as conductor and music director for multiple Grammy-winning Evanescence and Billboard Music Award winner and YouTube sensation, Lindsey Stirling.

Seiter is perhaps best known for orchestrating and conducting the remarkably successful orchestral concert tours The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions. Combined, these tours have been performed more than 300 times by some of the world’s most respected orchestras. In 2015 alone, she conducted over 60 orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic at London’s Apollo Hammersmith, The Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Madison Square Garden, the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap, and the Sydney Symphony at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Seiter excels in leading popular symphonic film concerts such as Frozen Live, Pixar in Concert and Mary Poppins Live. In 2015 she conducted and hosted the Orlando Philharmonic’s inaugural season at the Dr. Phillips Center Walt Disney Amphitheater with Pixar in Concert.

Parallel to her active concert career, Susie Seiter has worked alongside her husband, composer Chad Seiter, conducting and orchestrating his music to many AAA video game titles that include some of history’s most popular, enduring franchises: Star Trek: The Video Game and LEGO Jurassic World. She recently finished orchestrating and conducting his score to Microsoft Studios’ major game release, ReCore. This ambitious endeavor, recorded at the late George Martin’s AIR Studios in Lyndhurst Hall, featured the London Philharmonia, full chorus, a large rock ensemble, and comprehensive electronics. She also completed the orchestration for the symphonic film premiere of Little Mermaid Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Susie also likes to boast that she conducted the recording to Zombieland 2 at Capitol Studios nine days after giving birth.

Also a frequent collaborator with GRAMMY-nominated composer Austin Wintory, Seiter orchestrated The Banner Saga series as well as his BAFTA nominated score, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

Susie Seiter was on the orchestration team for Universal Pictures’ film Minions and Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak and The Book of Life. She was also the lead orchestrator on the upcoming Sony Pictures feature film Patient Zero and the fifth installation of Underworld for composer Michael Wandmacher, which signified their 25th collaboration together over the course of 12 years.

Susie Seiter believes that orchestral music should be shared and celebrated by all generations, and she takes great pride in her contributions as a conductor and orchestrator. Originally from Baltimore, Seiter now calls Los Angeles home, where she lives with Chad and their sons Samuel and William.

Conductor (abbreviated credits)

Evanescence Synthesis Live Blu-ray DVD Release
Lindsey Stirling – Summer Tour 2018 with Orchestra (North America)
Fornite United Recording, Los Angeles
Evanescence Synthesis Live Tour 2017-2018 (North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Russia)
Pokémon Symphonic Evolutions Tour (North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, South America)
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour (North American, United Kingdom, South America)

Mary Poppins Live Kansas City Symphony
ReCore (Microsoft) Air Studios, London
League of Legends
Frozen Live
Lego Jurassic World Slovak Radio Hall, Slovakia
Star Trek Slovak Radio Hall, Slovakia
Pixar in Concert Various cities
Resident Evil 7 Capitol Studios, Los Angeles
Need for Speed Sony, Los Angeles
Voice from the Stone Air Studios, London
Aliens: Colonial Marines Ocean Way, Nashville
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia Skywalker Sound, Marin County
Piranha 3-D Prague TV studio, Prague
Marvel’s: The Punisher: War Zone Bastyr Church, Seattle
Never Back Down Bastyr Church, Seattle

James K. Bass, GRAMMY® award winning conductor and singer, is Professor and Director of Choral Studies at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. James is on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and serves as the Program Director for the Professional Choral Institute. He is the Associate Conductor for the Miami based ensemble Seraphic Fire and is the Artistic Director of the Long Beach Camerata Singers. Bass received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami–Florida, Master of Music and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of South Florida and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy.

Bass has appeared with numerous professional vocal ensembles including Seraphic Fire, Conspirare, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Trinity Wall Street, Apollo Master Chorale, Vox Humanae, True Concord and Spire. He was the featured baritone soloist on the GRAMMY® nominated recording Pablo Neruda: The Poet Sings with fellow singer Lauren Snouffer, conductor Craig Hella-Johnson and the GRAMMY® winning ensemble Conspirare. He is one of 13 singers on the GRAMMY®-nominated disc, A Seraphic Fire Christmas and appears on CD recordings on the Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, Albany, and Seraphic Fire Media labels.

Bass was selected by the master conductor of the Amsterdam Baroque Soloists, Ton Koopman, to be one of only 20 singers for a presentation of Cantatas by J. S. Bach in Carnegie Hall and was an auditioned member of Robert Shaw’s workshop choir at Carnegie. During his tenure as Artistic Director for the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, the official chorus of the Florida Orchestra, he was responsible for five recordings and multiple world premieres. In 2012 he served as chorusmaster and co-editor for the Naxos recording entitled Delius: Sea Drift and Appalachia featuring the Florida Orchestra and conducted by Stefan Sanderling. In 2014 he was the preparer for the recording, “Holiday Pops Live!” conducted by the Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik.

His professional career has coincided with the development of Seraphic Fire as one of the premier vocal ensembles in the United States. He has been actively involved as soloist, ensemble artist, editor, producer and preparer for 14 of the Ensemble’s recordings and routinely conducts the Ensemble in Miami and on tour. During the summer of 2011 he co-founded the Professional Choral Institute. In its inaugural year of recording, Seraphic Fire and PCI received the GRAMMY® nomination for Best Choral Performance for their recording of Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. In 2017 Seraphic Fire and UCLA launched a new educational initiative entitled the Ensemble Artist Program that aims to identify and train the next generation of high-level ensemble singers. In 2021, Bass won the Grammy for Best Choral Performance for his work as director of the UCLA Chamber Choir in partnership with the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for “The Passion of Yeshua.”