Robert Istad is beginning his inaugural season as Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale. Mr. Istad’s 2016-2017 season included debuts with the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, and return engagements with Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Sony Classical, and Long Beach Camerata Singers. He is also Dean of Chorus America’s Academy for Conductors. In June 2016, Istad made his debut with Berkshire Choral International and Santa Rosa Symphony Orchestra.

Istad has prepared choruses for a number of America’s finest conductors and orchestras, including: Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, as well as conductors Esa–Pekka Salonen, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, John Williams, Eugene Kohn, Eric Whitacre, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody.

Istad is former Artistic Director of Long Beach Camerata Singers and Long Beach Bach Festival. Under his leadership, Long Beach Camerata Singers became recognized as one of the leading arts organizations of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, created a performing partnership with Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, as well as performed with Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera.

Istad is also Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton. He was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year.  At CSU Fullerton, Istad conducts the University Singers and Women’s Choir in addition to teaching courses in conducting, performance practice and literature. Recently, he and the University Singers performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Kathleen Battle, recorded albums with Yarlung Records and with composer John Williams and Sony Classical.

He and his singers performed a concert of Tarik O’Regan’s music for Distinguished Concerts International New York at Carnegie Hall in November 2015.  They performed at the 2013 ACDA National Conference in Dallas, Texas and the 2012 ACDA Western Division Conference in Reno, Nevada. They also performed for the 2013 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference in Charleston, SC. Istad and the CSUF University Singers have performed all over the world, including a 2015 residency and performances in Paris, France, engagements at the 2012 Ottobeuren Festival of Music in Germany, the 2012 Eingen Festival of music in Germany, a 2010 performance for UNESCO in Pisa, Italy, and in 2008 at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.

Istad received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, his Master of Music degree in choral conducting from California State University, Fullerton and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral music at the University of Southern California. He studied conducting with Dr. William Dehning, John Alexander, and Dr. Jon Hurty.

Istad is President of the California Choral Director’s Association and is in demand as an adjudicator, guest conductor, speaker and clinician throughout the nation.

Award-winning violinist Carrie Kennedy has been the featured soloist with orchestras throughout the United States including the San Antonio, Richardson, University of Southern California, Torrance, Suburban, Brevard Festival, Clear Lake, Westchester, Solano and Magic Valley symphonies, and has performed concerts around the world.

She joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in January 2012. Currently, she is also a member of the New West, Long Beach and Pasadena Symphonies, and the Fiato Quartet. She also performs with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. She has toured with the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra in South America, the Percy Faith Orchestra in Japan, the Fiato Quartet in Costa Rica and with Andrea Bocelli. She has also recorded music for many commercials, motion pictures and records.

Kennedy is an alumnus of intensive chamber music programs at Tanglewood and Amelia Island where her quartet was coached by the American, Guarneri, Emerson, and Takacs quartets. While at Tanglewood, she served as concertmaster under Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and was broadcast live on New York’s WQXR in Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. She has also spent summers at the International Holland Music Sessions where she studied with Hermann Krebbers, the Santander Master Courses in Spain with Zakhar Bron, and the London Master Classes where she studied with György Pauk and was chosen to have her lesson filmed by Online Classics for a television documentary on the master classes.

She holds a Master of Music degree from The State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she studied with Pamela Frank and Ani Kavafian, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California with Robert Lipsett.

Carrie resides in Pasadena with her husband and fellow LACO violinist Joel Pargman.

A Southern California native, violinist Roger Wilkie has been the beloved concertmaster of the Long Beach Symphony for over 27 years. He has appeared as a soloist throughout his career with the Symphony, performing the concertos of Brahms, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and more recently Sibelius to critical acclaim. Mr. Wilkie’s professional career began at age 21 when he joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, eventually being appointed Principal Second Violin, a position he held until 1989. He has since returned to the ensemble as Guest Concertmaster. He has also served as Guest Concertmaster with the LA Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Real Filharmonia De Galicia, Spain under Music Director, Helmut Rilling.

Mr. Wilkie’s career extends to the Hollywood Studios, where he has participated in the soundtracks of over 1000 films as well as television recordings. Mr. Wilkie has received the honor of serving as concertmaster for John Williams’ scores for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Indiana Jones IV, Munich, and Memoirs of a Geisha. You may hear his recent solo work on the score of the movie A Single Man and in The Adventures of Tintin score by John Williams. Wilkie has also performed on scores for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Deadpool, Avatar, Gone Girl, The Town, and many more.

Mr. Wilkie is an accomplished and sought-after chamber musician and is the founding member of the Angeles String Quartet, performing and touring with them from 1988–1993. He was the solo violinist with Santa Barbara-based Camerata Pacifica, on whose series he played hundreds of concerts as recitalist and chamber musician over a ten year period. He has appeared at many chamber music festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Festival. Presently, Mr. Wilkie is a member of the Pacific Trio. The Trio has made several tours of Europe and participated in the Silver Lire International Festival of Chamber Music in St. Petersburg.

Kimberlea Daggy has spent the last twenty-five years as a classical music announcer/producer for various public radio stations, including KUSC in Los Angeles, the Classical Public Radio Network, WFDD in Winston-Salem, NC and WILL in Urbana, IL.  She has created and presented a wide array of programs on classical music stations throughout the country, from daily shows to quarterly specials celebrating composers’ birthdays to her highly successful contemplative choral music program, Soul Music. Kimberlea has co-hosted live broadcasts of Los Angeles Opera performances, providing commentary and interviewing international artists such as Placido Domingo, Marilyn Horne and William Friedkin. She has given pre-performance talks and emceed programs for a variety of organizations, including LA Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Ojai Music Festival, the Broad Stage, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

In addition to her radio career, Kimberlea has taught adult classical music education classes, most recently at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.  These classes explore various aspects of classical music, from opera to choral works to symphonic favorites.  She is a board member of the Sierra Summer Festival in Mammoth Lakes, CA, where she has presented seminars and emceed concerts.  Kimberlea is also committed to furthering the careers of young musicians.  She served on the board of the Orchestra Parents Association at Santa Monica High School, where she hosted concerts, wrote program notes and connected students to professional musicians, including LA Opera Music Director James Conlon and former Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Zubin Mehta.  She also helped coordinate the Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra 2014 tour to Vienna, Prague and Baden-Baden, Germany.

Kimberlea now lives in the Shenandoah Valley.  She hosts programs on classical station WEMC and NPR News station WMRA, both located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  She also sings and conducts the choir at First Presbyterian Church in Waynesboro, VA, where her husband, Roger, is Music Director and Organist.  Kimberlea and Roger have two children in college:  Max, who is studying computer programming, and Celia, who is a viola performance major at Boston University.

Stephanie Stetson grew up in the Seattle area and while there studied with Anna Cloud and Christopher Leuba.  She moved to Los Angeles and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Horn Performance from the University of Southern California.  While there she had the privilege of studying with Jim Decker and Vincent DeRosa.  She has been a free-lance musician in Los Angeles ever since.  Stephanie regularly performs with the Pacific Symphony, LA Opera Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony and the Long Beach Municipal Band.  She has performed in numerous Broadway shows at the Schubert, Ahmanson and Pantages Theatres such as: Wicked, Lion King, The Producers, Phantom of the Opera etc…  She also has extensive studio recording experience in TV, radio, audio recordings and motion picture soundtracks.

Stephanie has been teaching at Azusa Pacific University since 2004 where she has taught Applied Horn, Horn Master Class, Horn Literature and Horn Pedagogy.  She is a member of the APU Faculty WW Quintet.  Since the beginning of 2010 she has also been teaching applied horn at Citrus College.

Stephanie is married with 4 children.  She loves her family very much and enjoys the blessings of a good family and good music every day of her life.

Darren Mulder enjoys an active performing, teaching and recording career in Southern California. He has been a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1996, and he actively works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Santa Monica Symphony. Darren spent three years as principal trumpet of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Philharmonic Orchestra. He also enjoyed performing at the Spoleto Festival of the Two Worlds in Italy. He is currently trumpet professor and wind ensemble director at The Colburn School of the Performing Arts. Darren earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education from CSU Long Beach and a Master’s degree in trumpet performance from the USC.

Arthur Omura is a specialist in historical keyboard instruments. He studied organ repertoire of the Baroque under Charles Rus in San Francisco, modern technique under Dr. Ladd Thomas at the University of Southern California, and harpsichord repertoire under Dr. Lucinda Carver at USC. He has performed at the Boston and Berkeley Early Music festivals and given numerous performances at home in Los Angeles. Omura keeps an active schedule as an organist and harpsichord player. He has worked with MicroFest, wildUp, iPalpiti, and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. Omura can be heard on several recordings, most recently on “Spirits of the Air”, a collaboration between countertenor Brian Asawa and mezzo-soprano Diana Tash, out on LML Music.  His interest in instrument making led him to work with harpsichord builder Curtis Berak, whom he has assisted in restoring several instruments, and with organ builder Manuel Rosales. Omura has a Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California.

Tom Peters is a composer and GRAMMY® nominated performer who specializes in creating music for silent films, performing original scores through interactive electronics and synchronized electronic soundscapes. In April 2013, he premiered his original score to the 1927 silent classic The Passion of Joan of Arc—his ninth film—at the Toronto Silent Film Festival with Joelle Morton on tenor viol. The score was featured in a radio broadcast over the CBC. His score to John Ford’s classic western The Iron Horse (1924) premiered at The Autry National Center in Los Angeles in March 2015. The Phantom of the Opera, which premiered on Halloween Night 2015, is his 14^th silent film score.

Upcoming projects include Dziga Vertov’s landmark 1929 documentary The Man with the Movie Camera in January 2016 at the Portland Art Museum, and two recordings. The first is Tom’s score to The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, the second is a large-scale work called The Forest, both released on Tiger Barb Records.

Tom’s 2014 GRAMMY® nominated recording of John Cage’s The Ten Thousand Things on the MicroFest label with acclaimed pianists Aron Kallay and Vicki Ray, legendary percussionist William Winant, and a recently discovered recording of John Cage himself performing 45’ for a Speaker was the first American recording of this seminal work. Tom has been a member of the Long Beach Symphony since 1993 and Southwest Chamber Music since 1998. He has performed as a soloist with Ensemble Oh-Ton, People Inside Electronics, MicroFest, and the Schindler House and many others, and has been featured on Nordwest Radio in Hamburg, Germany. He is a lecturer of Double Bass at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at the California State University, Long Beach.

Rong Huey Liu is hailed by her colleagues as “a most expressive oboist with a beautiful dark sound” and by conductor Tomasz Golka as “…. a phenomenal oboist.” Taiwanese-American Rong‐Huey Liu is currently the principal oboist for the Long Beach Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and the Riverside County Philharmonic. She also performs with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, New West Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. As a Hollywood studio musician, Dr. Liu has performed with Jackie Evancho and is the principal oboist for Andrea Bocelli’s annual west coast touring orchestra. Her playing can be heard on recordings with Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, David Benoit, Bright Eyes, Ron Isley, Mariachi Champaña Nevín, Laura Pursell, Paul Steel, Calico Winds and movie sound track “Fireflies in the Garden”, to name a few.

At age seventeen, Dr. Liu won first place in the Taichung Regional Oboe Competition and the Taiwan National Oboe Competition, which lead her to study in the United States. Upon arrival, she continued to win the performance award from the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, scholarships from Taiwanese College Music competition, first prize award from the Harvard Musical Association, scholarships from the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, and the Spotlight Awards from Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

Dr. Liu earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music from the Manhattan School of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California with an award from Phi Beta Kappa and a membership of Pi Kappa Lambda. Among her teachers are Rong-Yi Liu, Joseph Robinsons and David Weiss. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Oboe at the La Sierra University, Riverside City College and California State University Fullerton.

As an avid chamber music soloist, Dr. Liu has been invited to perform in the Sundays Live, Grand Performance, Ojai Summer Music Festival, Bruman Chamber Music Summer Festival, Cactus Pear Music Festival and a guest artist for Unbound Chamber Music and FOOSA. Rong-Huey has performed Marcello Oboe Concerto in Weil Recital/Carnegie Hall, Kalliwoda Oboe Concertino at Taichung Chung-­‐Shin Concert Hall, Mozart Oboe Concerto, Handel Concerto Gross and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante at the Holt Memorial Hall and Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Corigliano Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra at the Fox Theater with Riverside County Philharmonic and at the Nightingale Concert Hall with Reno Chamber Orchestra, Bach Concerto for Oboe and Violin with Grammy nominee violinist, James Buswell for the Neveda Chamber Music Festival and violinist Limor Toren‐Immerman with Mozart Classic Orchestra. She also performed Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in 2014 as a last minute step in for the missing soloist with the Reno Chamber Orchestra. In December 2014, she has recorded Rhapsody for Oboe and Orchestra by Walter Saul under the direction of Theodore Kuchar with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and it will be released by Naxos.

Matt Catingub wears many hats: saxophonist, woodwind artist, conductor, pianist, vocalist, performer, composer, and arranger. Matt is the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Macon Pops in Macon, Georgia, and recently the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Glendale Pops in Los Angeles, the Hawaii Pops in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as the Festival Pops Conductor of the New Hampshire Music Festival. He has also held the Principal Pops Conductor positions of the Honolulu Symphony, the Hawaii Symphony, and the New Mexico Symphony.

Catingub has guest conducted for some of the most significant Symphony Orchestras in the country, including the Nashville Symphony, the Saint Louis Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, and the Symphonies of Columbus, Hartford, Omaha and throughout Canada and Japan. Catingub has conducted for artists such as Diana Krall, Yes, Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight, Kenny Rogers, and numerous others. And significantly Matt has arranged the music in the orchestra libraries for diverse artists such as Kenny Loggins, James Ingram, Boz Scaggs, the Righteous Brothers, Rosemary Clooney, Vertical Horizon, Natalie Cole, Toni Tennille, Michael McDonald, Dave Koz, Toto, Pat Benatar, and many many others.

The son of the great jazz vocalist and “Polynesia’s First Lady of Song,” Mavis Rivers, Catingub regularly performed with his mom. In 2007 Matt, a proud Pacific Islander was handed the Samoan Chief’s title of La`auli by King Malietoa Tanumafili II, the final title issued before his death. As a young man, he played a variety of instruments, conducted his first orchestra at age 15, focused on Alto sax at 16, and at age 17 played his sax at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and from there toured Japan playing with jazz legends including Dizzy Gillespie, and Ruth Brown. From there Catingub joined the Louie Bellson Big Band and a couple of years later joined the Toshiko Akiyoshi / Lew Tabackin Big Band as the lead alto saxophonist. In 1983, Catingub formed the Matt Catingub Big Band, with Rivers as a vocalist, and recorded several critically acclaimed jazz albums with his mom.

Matt had made his solo singing debut at the Frank Sinatra Celebration at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall and as a result of his performance there, the Concord Jazz CD Gershwin 100 was conceived. Catingub also wrote and performed the music for the George Clooney film, Goodnight and Good Luck, made an onscreen appearance as the leader of the band, created all of the arrangements and played tenor sax in the movie and on the CD. The Soundtrack for Goodnight and Good Luck, featuring Matt and vocalist Diane Reeves won a GRAMMY. Catingub has also enjoyed success as the leader of his Big Band, Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack touring the world with Rosemary Clooney, and backing notable artists such as Michael Feinstein, Linda Eder, Lionel Hampton, and many others. Today Matt is considered to be at the forefront of a new and innovative movement to reinvent Pops into a more fun and accessible format, encouraging dancing (when the venue allows) and loose fun, within a more informal and contemporary setting.