Sarah Darling is an American singer-songwriter drawing inspiration from the allure of freedom and beauty. She channels the spirit of 70’s California, with echoes from Laurel Canyon, narrating an American road trip story wrapped in Nostalgia and sunshine. Infused with a modern aura, her lyrics transport us to a golden era, sung with the warmth of honey vocals and unfiltered honesty.
Her credits include five full-length albums, multiple singles, including a #1 on the UK Country charts, and many duets. She has over 20 million streams, 11 million video views, and over 90 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage. She is one of the first Sirius XM The Highway™ Finds and part of the first class of CMT’s Next Women of Country. Performances include: CMA Music Fest, C2C, BBC Radio 2 Stage, FSA Music Festival, Nashville Meets London, British Country Music Festival, British Summertime Festival supporting Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Carrie Underwood.
Sarah’s music has been featured on many Apple, Amazon, Pandora, and Spotify playlists including:, CMT’s Hot Twenty, Coffeehouse, New Boots, PopCo, Take it Slow, Wild Country, Cosmic Country, New Music Nashville, Next from Nashville, Fresh Folk, etc.
Jesse NagerJesse Nager is an alum of LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts and The University of Michigan. He starred as Smokey Robinson in the Broadway revival of Motown The Musical (NAACP Theatre Award Nomination) and was also featured in the original New York productions of Motown The Musical, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Scandalous, Good Vibrations, Windows, and Fame! Regional highlights include Stephen Sondheim’s Being Alive (dir. by Billy Porter at PTC), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Papermill), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus at Asolo Repertory Theater and The Ordway), as well as concerts, readings, and workshops of Children Of Eden, Disney’s Hercules, Rocky, Aladdin, and many more. He has performed with Mariah Carey and Shania Twain at Madison Square Garden, and his vocals have been heard on both seasons of NBC’s Smash, as well as the movie Hairspray, and numerous commercials and corporate recordings across the country.
As a producer/director/choreographer/arranger/writer, Jesse is the founder and Artistic Director of The Broadway Boys, a collection of tenors from Broadway shows who rearrange traditional musical theater tunes with elements of pop/funk/rock for a dynamic, contemporary sound. The Broadway Boys have toured the world and have been featured on America’s Got Talent, The Today Show, and their first album debuted at #6 on the iTunes chart.
Rick BrantleyHailing from the storied musical grounds of Macon, Georgia, Rick Brantley was raised on a steady diet of Southern gospel, gritty blues, and classic rock ’n’ roll. From the hymns echoing in his father’s Southern Baptist church to the raw energy of barroom stages, music wasn’t just a passion — it was the language of his world.
By his late teens, Brantley had already begun carving out his place in the music scene, earning a reputation as a magnetic performer with a storyteller’s soul. A move to Nashville solidified his footing as a sought-after songwriter, penning songs for a diverse roster of artists, including Ruston Kelly, The White Buffalo, Meat Loaf, and David Nail. But Brantley wasn’t content to stay behind the scenes — he was made for the road.
Over the next decade, Brantley toured relentlessly, building a loyal following across the U.S. and Europe. He shared the stage with artists as varied as John Hiatt, Brandy Clark, Zac Brown, and Kiefer Sutherland, while also headlining his own shows from Ontario to Hamburg, Los Angeles to NYC, and back again.
A true multi-hyphenate, Brantley has expanded his creative reach beyond songwriting and performance. He’s produced critically acclaimed records for longtime collaborators like Rob Baird and Justin Halpin, and directed a number of strikingly creative music videos. His versatility as both an artist and a craftsman has become a hallmark of his career.
In 2022, Brantley relocated to Brooklyn, New York, releasing his EP “BLUE” — a bold sonic departure that embraced lush string arrangements and cinematic textures, thanks to producer Bryan Dawley. The project marked a new chapter, both musically and geographically.
That same year, Brantley entered the world of pops symphony collaborations, working with renowned conductor and composer Jeff Tyzik on Country Hits: Songs From Nashville, a genre-celebrating symphonic concert experience that continues to tour nationally. He also appears in pops shows Revolution and Twist & Shout, and will debut in Sounds of Laurel Canyon in 2025.
Now, nearly two decades into his career, Rick Brantley remains a tireless creator — one who thrives at the intersection of tradition and evolution, roots and ambition, soul and showmanship.
“This is it. This is what I always wanted to do: create something and share it with people,” he says. “The fact that I still get to do it almost 20 years later is crazy. Crazy good.”
is a first-call concert and studio musician, principal pianist/keyboardist for the Pasadena Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra, a frequent extra with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has been a featured guest artist with the Pacific Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and many others.
Alan was a credited soloist on the 2006 Academy Award-winning documentary March of the Penguins, and recent motion picture projects have included Mank, Free Guy, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and The Adam Project. This being Hollywood, however, he has also been a surly mall entertainer on The Simpsons, a ragtime-playing elephant in Cats Don’t Dance, and a one-handed thug in Tangled who dreamt of leaving the life of crime to become a concert pianist.
Alan is likely the only artist both to be recognized as a Freunde des Hauses Bösendorfer and to have been caricatured by name on a Warner Brothers cartoon.
Emmanuel RojasConductor Emmanuel Rojas previously served as the assistant conductor of the Santa Clarita Symphony under maestro Brain Stone and served as an assistant conductor of the USC Thornton Symphony for music director Carl St. Clair and resident conductor Sharon Lavery. He has also presented concerts with members and alumni of the USC Symphony Orchestra. During the 2024/25 season, Emmanuel has also led the Santa Clarita Symphony by invitation and guidance of maestro Brian Stone. 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.
As a conductor, 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 conducing 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.
Annie RanzaniAnne Ranzani is a Los Angeles based bassoonist, frequenting freelance scenes across the state of California. She has performed regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, New West Symphony, Downey Symphony Orchestra, and even as far as the Las Vegas Philharmonic and New World Symphony. She is currently the principal bassoonist in the California Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and Monterey Symphony. Anne received her education at the University of Southern California (BM ‘19, MM ‘21, GCRT ‘23), where she studied under the tutelage of Judith Farmer and Shawn Mouser. In her time away from the bassoon, she loves to read, cook, and write poetry.
Pete JacobsPete Jacobs has made a significant mark on the Los Angeles music scene as a music arranger, composer, producer, and bandleader. His jazz bands have been featured at esteemed venues such as New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Hollywood Bowl, Catalina’s Casino Ballroom, and has enjoyed a regular monthly spot at Disneyland for many years.
In 2012, Pete teamed up with Matt Mauser as his pianist and musical director. Matt approached him with the idea of forming a ‘Sinatra Tribute’ band. They began with some of Sinatra’s greatest hits, carefully orchestrated by Pete for their 12-piece band after listening intently to the original recordings.
As their performances spread across Southern California, it became clear they should diversify their shows to include music from other iconic artists like Elvis, Tom Jones, Bill Withers, Barry Manilow, Lou Rawls, and more. Matt and Pete created a unique and dynamic style of entertainment that keeps even the performers guessing, as they never quite know what Matt will ask them to play from concert to concert.
In 2020, the band was invited to perform at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club for New Year’s Eve, where they also accompanied renowned artists such as The Temptations, The Spinners, The Commodores, and Jason Scheff, the former lead singer of Chicago. This past New Year’s Eve marked their seventh performance the club.
For tonight’s special performance with the Long Beach Symphony, Pete has re-orchestrated all the music specifically for the symphony. This event will showcase these newly crafted arrangements for the very first time.
Ryan ShawRyan Shaw is a three-time GRAMMY® nominated artist for his solo projects, Columbia Records’ This is Ryan Shaw, his In Between and Dynotone’s Real Love. He has shared the world stage with such artists as Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King and Jill Scott. His music has been featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC’s Dancing with The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lincoln Heights, and the films My Blueberry Nights and Bride Wars and the Sex and the City soundtrack. Ryan has been a featured guest on national TV talk shows and has starred as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Olivier Award-winning London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Ryan’s new album, Imagining Marvin, showcases Marvin Gaye hits alongside Ryan’s original songs and features multi-GRAMMY Award-winning co-writers and special guests.
As a concert soloist, Ryan made his Radio City Music Hall debut at the Dream Concert benefit to build the Martin Luther King Jr National Monument in Washington DC. His Carnegie Hall appearances include an Elton John and Bernie Taupin Tribute, A Celebration of The African American Cultural Legacy, and a Nat King Cole 100th concert with the NY Pops. Ryan has also been honored to be the second artist in history to be asked to perform a return engagement at the Central Park Summer Stage Gala (second to Stevie Wonder). He has also been a featured artist with the Houston Symphony for their R&B Mixtape concert as well as the soloist for the Houston Symphony’s 4th of July Celebration. Ryan’s recent and upcoming symphonic performances include The Cleveland Orchestra, Philly Pops, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Florida Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, Helena Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, Wilmington Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Gulf Coast Symphony, among others.
Tyriq JohnsonTyriq Johnson is gifted with a multi-octave voice as unique as his name. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Tyriq began to shine at an early age as a multi-instrumentalists and singer. He played drums, trumpet and percussion; but could usually sing better than the lead vocalist in whatever band he was working in. Tyriq moved to Las Vegas in 2002 and was quickly in high demand performing in Clubs, Concerts and Casino Showrooms.
Tyriq’s soaring falsetto and confidant stage persona drew the attention of national acts working in Las Vegas. He was soon singing with recording artists Sheena Easton, Richard Street, Ollie Woodson, and most recently a Las Vegas residency with the Righteous Brothers.
The “Serpentine Fire” project grew out of Tyriq’s association and friendship with Verdine White and Ralph Johnson of Earth Wind & Fire. His voice is a perfect fit for their musical catalog – an instantly recognizable American songbook that perfectly showcases Tyriq’s vocal prowess.
In 2019, Tyriq joined forces with Arranger / Conductor Mariano Longo and created a unique and exciting “Symphony / Pops” presentation. They have united this uplifting and funky music with sophisticated orchestration to present an irresistible crowd pleasing show. “Serpentine Fire” – the music of Earth Wind & Fire is a first class performance of this universally known music for orchestral audiences of all ages.
The next step in building “Serpentine Fire” was recruiting the exceptional vocal talents of E.C. Adams – also a Las Vegas headliner who has opened for Joan Rivers & Jay Leno, and performed with Gladys Knight and KC & the Sunshine Band. EC has toured internationally with the BMA award winning vocal group “Spectrum” He brings a wealth of performing experience and a degree in music production.
The 6 piece touring group also features Walter Jones (Bass & Vocals), John Johnson (Guitar & Vocals), and Michael Angelo Vattima (Drummer and Assoc. Conductor) These gentlemen are among the best instrumental & vocal talents that Las Vegas has to offer. All together their show is a dynamic and fast paced journey through the 70’s and 80’s hits of “Earth Wind and Fire”.
“Tyriq Johnson brought the Fire – Great vocalists, classy presentation, and Mariano Longo’s excellent arrangements and charts for the orchestra, So “Let’s Groove Tonight!”– Dr. Jason Leo Curly – Utica Symphony Orchestra
“GREAT singers, and a FANTASTIC orchestra, united together for an evening you will never forget.” –Ron Garrett – Hall of Fame Broadcaster & Entertainment Consultant
Troy QuinnEmmy-nominated conductor Troy Quinn has quickly established himself as one of his generation’s most versatile young artists. Lauded for his energetic and riveting conducting, charismatic stage presence, and genre-defying programs, Quinn is in his ninth season as Music Director of the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky. He is also in his eighth season as Music Director of the Venice Symphony in Florida and serves concurrently as the Pops Conductor of both the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Santa Rosa Symphony in California. Quinn’s engagements have included performances with many prestigious orchestras in the United States, including the Boston Pops, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.
Equally at home in the pops and commercial world, Quinn has performed and recorded with some of the most popular artists of our time, including The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Barry Manilow, Lee Greenwood, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Feinstein, Tower of Power, Rockapella, Cypress Hill, The Indigo Girls, and Nas. As an accomplished vocalist, Quinn has also collaborated with such renowned composers as Alan Menken, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, and Alexandre Desplat while performing under prominent maestros, including Helmuth Rilling, Carl St. Clair, and Dan Saunders of the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to his concert work, Quinn has worked extensively in the television and recording industry, earning an Emmy nomination for the PBS special A Night at the Oscars with the Owensboro
Symphony. He has made appearances on such hit television shows as Fox’s GLEE, NBC’s The Voice, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno while recording on films like The Call of the Wild and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He has also appeared at many of the world’s major music centers and at such famed venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Tanglewood.A native of Connecticut, Quinn pursued a bachelor of arts degree from Providence College where he was the recipient of the Leo S. Cannon award for superior achievement in the music field. He went on to earn his master’s degree with honors from the Manhattan School of Music, studying conducting with David Gilbert and voice with highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera singer Mark Oswald. He completed his doctorate in conducting at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied with Larry Livingston and Jo-Michael
Scheibe and was named the outstanding doctoral graduate of his class. Quinn has participated in numerous masterclasses as a conducting fellow, attending conducting institutes at the Royal Academy of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Bard Conservatory of Music. He has been mentored by such renowned conductors as Benjamin Zander, Neil Varon, and Leon Botstein. Quinn serves on the conducting faculty at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and has previously served as a faculty member at Providence College, where he was also awarded an honorary doctorate.