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 2022-2023 season marks Morihiko Nakahara’s 15th season as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic, and he also serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Nakahara just completed a successful 17 year tenure as Resident Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, where he will return to conduct throughout the current season. In addition to his wide ranging activities with these orchestras, Nakahara will also guest conduct the symphony orchestras of Virginia, Portland, Ann Arbor, and Charleston (SC).

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, Nakahara was featured in the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview in March 2005. 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 and the 2019 Maine All-State Orchestra. Recipient of the David Effron Conducting Fellowship at the Chautauqua Institution in 1999, he recently returned to guest conduct the Music School Festival Orchestra there.

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, and Sergio Mendes to name a few. He is also known for leading concerts synchronizing live orchestral music with film, including Star Wars: A New Hope, Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, Pixar in Concert, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and Disney in Concert. 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 native of Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory 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.

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.”

Michael Berkowitz brings his professional experience, personal charisma and “witty banter” to concert stages in what reviewers call “a model of high quality conducting technique.”

Johnny Green, the great composer-conductor, called Michael Berkowitz a “Drummer Conductor Extraordinaire.” Berkowitz has led numerous orchestras, including the Boston Pops, London Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and the National Symphony, and has conducted for Marvin Hamlisch, Roberta Flack, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein and Sarah Brightman. He is also featured on recordings with Steve Lawrence, Placido Domingo, Linda Eder and countless original cast albums, movies, jingles, and television performances.  As a drummer, he has performed for Henry Mancini, Liza Minnelli, Michael Crawford, Billy Joel, Sting, Elton John, and Bette Midler.

Berkowitz began performing as a drummer at the age of 11 in his hometown of Indianapolis. After studying music at Indiana University, he began touring with Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams and Henry Mancini, the latter persuading him to move to Los Angeles, where he became one of the city’s busiest studio musicians, working with stars such as Gloria Estefan, Linda Ronstadt, Ringo Starr, Helen Reddy, Seals and Crofts, and The Association.

Berkowitz has performed on many television programs including The Academy Awards, The Tonight Show, The Tony Awards, The Today Show, A Capitol Fourth, Great Performances, Live From Lincoln Center and Concerts at the White House.

His close work with two of Hollywood’s greatest talents, Johnny Green and Nelson Riddle, led Berkowitz to consider conducting. Johnny Green, composer of “Body and Soul” and conductor of the world-famous MGM Studio Orchestra, was a great inspiration and passed along much of his experience and knowledge to Michael. Nelson Riddle firmly pointed Michael toward conducting. During their close 15-year friendship and working relationship, the two collaborated on television projects, feature films, recordings, and live shows. Through Riddle, Berkowitz learned the fine points of the music business. When Riddle was too ill to conduct for Dame Kiri TeKanawa on his last recording project, it was Berkowitz that Riddle asked to step in and conduct.

After moving to New York in 1980, Berkowitz was immediately in demand on Broadway, working shows such as Evita, Pacific Overtures, The Tap Dance Kid, Do Re Mi, and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. On recordings, he has been heard from New York’s Carnegie Hall on such projects as A Sondheim Tribute, My Favorite Broadway, Anyone Can Whistle, and An Evening With Betty Buckley.

He was the drummer for the once-in-a-lifetime performance of Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” with the New York Philharmonic. Jerome Robbins asked Michael to come to the New York City Ballet to play for Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, which has been performed before sold-out houses in New York and all over Japan.

Well known in Europe, Berkowitz is a recognized artist in the United Kingdom and has been a part of three command performances at London’s famed Palladium Theatre.

As a leader of his own big band, Berkowitz plays all over the country in tributes to Gene Krupa, Harry James, Buddy Rich, Nelson Riddle, Artie Shaw, and Billy May. His band played at the world-famous Birdland for three sold-out nights.

Berkowitz’ current projects include a new Jerry Herman Musical, Miss Spectacular, a Tribute To Sinatra with the Cincinnati Pops for Telarc, a benefit performance of West Side Story for Katie Couric’s Foundation (starring Robert DeNiro, Kevin Kline, Bette Midler, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Josh Groban, Beyonce Knowles, the cast of The Sopranos, and Rudy Giuliani) and a special concert version of Jerry Herman’s “Mack and Mabel.”

He continues to work with “Broadway on Broadway,” a free concert in New York’s Times Square, featuring numbers from each season’s Broadway musicals, now in its 11th year and continuing to draw more than 50,000 people. During the holiday season, Berkowitz will be at Madison Square Garden for his 10th year in the pit for “A Christmas Carol.”

In January 2018, Berkowitz was asked to be a part of the Toulon Opera House’s production of “Wonderful Town,” in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birthday. In May 2018, Berkowitz conducts Igor Stravinsky’s Ebony Concerto in Los Angeles with famous Jazz clarinetist, Ken Peplowski.

Michael Nowak began his musical studies in the Rhode Island public school system, where he studied violin, clarinet, and tuba. His interest in composition and conducting led him to Indiana University where he met and became a student of the legendary violist, William Primrose, who inspired him to devote himself to the viola.

Mr. Nowak has served as violist and assistant conductor with the Dallas Symphony, conductor of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, and the Monterey Chamber Orchestra. He was the Music Director of the San Luis Symphony for 31 years with acclaimed performances in Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and Disney Hall. He is widely recognized for his innovative children’s concert programs such as “Fly Me To The Moon” and “How Music Tells A Story” and for designing unique POPS! concerts.

Mr. Nowak is currently the Music Director of the Santa Maria Philharmonic and Founder and Artistic Director of Orchestra Novo. Maestro Nowak is also active as a recording musician and conductor in the motion picture industry. Among the many notable films conducted by Mr. Nowak are Academy Award-winning Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, The Accountant, Fences, King Kong, and Under the Tuscan Sun. He has also been the conductor on several TV shows such as Once Upon a Time, American Crime, and Wonderland. Mr. Nowak made his on-screen acting debut as the Juilliard conductor in the movie, The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx. He resides on the central coast with his wife, Suzette, and daughter, Julia.

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.

GRAMMY Award winner Jeff Tyzik is one of America’s most innovative and sought-after POPS! conductors. Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. Tyzik holds The Dot and Paul Mason Principal POPS! Conductor’s Podium at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and serves as Principal POPS! Conductor of the Detroit Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, and The Florida Orchestra. This season, Tyzik will celebrate his 23rd season as Principal POPS! Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Frequently invited as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with over fifty orchestras including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

In May 2007, the Harmonia Mundi label released a recording of works by Gershwin with Tyzik conducting the RPO and acclaimed pianist Jon Nakamatsu. This recording stayed in the Top 10 on the Billboard classical chart for over three months. Alex Ross of The New Yorker, called it “one of the snappiest Gershwin discs in years.” “His concert is the kind of thing that’s likely to give classical music a good name, perhaps even make it seem, dare I say, relevant,” writes John Pitcher of the Gannet News Service.

As an accomplished composer and arranger, Tyzik has had his compositions recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony and Doc Severinsen with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He has also produced and composed theme music for many of the major television networks, including ABC, NBC, HBO, and Cinemax, and released six of his own albums on Capitol, Polygram and Amherst Records.

Tyzik worked closely with Doc Severinsen on many projects including orchestrating many of the great band leader’s symphony orchestra programs. He produced a GRAMMY Award-winning album, The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. 1. Tyzik’s subsequent recordings with Severinsen garnered three more GRAMMY nominations.

In his twenty-two years with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Tyzik has written over 200 arrangements, orchestrations, and compositions for orchestra. A consummate musician, Tyzik regularly appears as a guest conductor in the orchestra’s classical subscription series. He has also been commissioned to compose original works for orchestra, including a Trombone Concerto, which was funded by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and subsequently performed at Carnegie Hall. Tyzik conducted the world premiere of his original work New York Cityscapes with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2010. Tyzik composed a Timpani Concerto, commissioned by the RPO, and also led the RPO in the premiere of his new orchestral suite, Images: Musical Impressions of an Art Gallery to rave reviews. In the 2015/16 season, Tyzik premiered his new work Jazz Concerto for Violin and Orchestra on his Philharmonic Series performance with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

A native of Hyde Park, New York, Tyzik began his life in music when he first picked up a cornet at age nine. He studied both classical and jazz throughout high school and went on to earn both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. While there, he studied composition/arranging with Radio City Music Hall’s Ray Wright and jazz studies with Chuck Mangione. Tyzik subsequently toured with Mangione as lead trumpet and worked on five Mangione recordings as a producer and performer from 1976 to 1981.

Committed to performing music of all genres, Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Megan Hilty, Chris Botti, Matthew Morrison, Wynonna Judd, Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O’Connor, Doc Severinsen and John Pizzarelli. Tyzik has created numerous original programs that include the greatest music from jazz, classical, Motown, Broadway, film, dance, Latin, and swing.