Listen to Ashley here. Tenor Ashley Faatoalia is a versatile, young artist born and raised in Los Angeles. Ashley studied vocal performance at Chapman University and has been singing professionally since that time. Opera News calls his singing “hauntingly beautiful” crediting him with “a voice of winning purity and variety of expression” and The San Francisco Chronicle calls him “Sweet-toned.” Ashley’s recent engagements include performances as: Bobby McCray in the world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera The Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera, The Crab Man in Porgy & Bess with Seattle Opera, Lyric Tenor in EUROPERAS with LAPhil, and his debut as Marco Polo in the Emmy-Award-winning, Pulitzer Prize-nominated Invisible Cities with The Industry. For the last ten years, Ashley has also had the fortune of working with LA Opera Connects going into the community and sharing music with all who wish to enjoy. (AshleyFaatoalia.com – follow him @ashthetenor)

Baritone James Martin Schaefer has an active performing career throughout the United States and beyond. He has received wide acclaim in many of the canonic operatic and oratorio baritone roles. He has performed in numerous productions with Los Angeles Opera and he was a member of Opera Pacific’s O.P.E.R.A. resident artist program.

Some recent engagements include appearances in Los Angeles Opera productions of Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Don Carlo, Wagner’s Tannhauser, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Bernstein’s Candide, Gluck’s Orfeus and Eurydice. He was recently featured as principal performer in Verdi’s La Traviata. In March 2022, Mr. Schaefer was “Bass Soloist” for St. Matthew’s Passion by J.S. Bach, which was a collaboration between Los Angeles Opera and The Hamburg Ballet. He also recently appeared as the bass soloist for the Berkshire Choral Festival.

Mr. Schaefer has garnered praise for his “marvelously expressive” (Los Angeles Times) and “powerful” (Orange County Register & Long Beach Press Telegram) interpretations of the most beautiful music composed for the baritone voice.

Mr. Schaefer has appeared as a featured / solo artist with Los Angeles Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade! Orchestra, the Pacific Chorale, the Long Beach Symphony, Les Grande Ballet Canadiens de Montreal, Distinguished Concerts International, New York, The Young Musician’s Fund Debut Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Opera, La Mirada Symphony, The California Quartet, Chorale Bel Canto, Opera Pacific, Intimate Opera of Pasadena, Center Stage Opera, the Bakersfield Symphony, Santa Maria Philharmonic, Pasadena Pro Musica, the Roswell Symphony Orchestra, and the Long Beach Camerata.

More information available at jamesmartinschaefer.com

Described as “luminously expressive” with a “silvery voice” that “moves from innocence to devastation with an actor’s ease,” Anna is passionate about bringing new voices, stories, and musical ideas to life. She enjoys an eclectic career that takes her all over the world – premiering new works by living composers, performing old favorites by dead ones, and recording a wide variety of sounds for film and television. Anna is thrilled to once again explore the spectrum of music making in her 2022|23 season, which she will open as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Creation with the LA Master Chorale.

A lover of new music and performance, Anna made her debut on the new music scene with the LA-based company The Industry, singing the ethereal soprano role of L in scenes from Anne LeBaron’s LSD: The Opera.  Since then, she has performed in a stunning array of new productions and premieres, including the role of the Controller in Opera Omaha’s production of Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Bernstein’s Mass with the LA Phil, and creating the role of Bibi in the world premiere of Ellen Reid’s Pulitzer Prize-winning opera p r i s m with LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects. Her performance in p r i s m was described as “revelatory” (Catherine Womack, I Care If You Listen), and subsequently led to a successful run at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo.

Anna also performs roles from the standard operatic canon and concert repertoire. Highlights include Orff’s Carmina Burana, and myriad Baroque and Classical works such as Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus; Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate, Requiem, Vesperae solennes de confessore, and Mass in C Minor; and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut. Recently, she premiered a staged and reimagined version of Orlando di Lasso’s Lagrime di San Pietro with 20 other singers from the LA Master Chorale, which launched a worldwide tour through the Ravinia Festival, the Salzburg Festival, and in Australia, Mexico, England, France, Germany, and several U.S. states.

Outside the world of classical vocals, Anna enjoys a stimulating and versatile career as a session singer. Her voice appears in various film and TV soundtracks, including The Lion King (2019), Mulan (2020), Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, Creed, Minions, as well as in Danny Elfman’s latest album, Big Mess. Her solo soprano vocals can be heard dramatically soaring over orchestra and choir in the films Birds of Prey (2020) and Keanu (2016), as well as the Netflix series Midnight Mass.

Listen to Anna here, and get more information at annaschubertsoprano.com

ARRIVAL from Sweden is today’s leading band featuring the music of ABBA. Directly from Sweden, this 10-member group is sure to bring Southland audiences to their feet! With nearly 400 million records sold, and following the success of the musical and movie productions of “Mama Mia,” ARRIVAL from Sweden ensures audiences across the globe can continue to enjoy the band’s fan favorites performed live.

ARRIVAL from Sweden was founded by Vicky Zetterberg in 1995, in Gothenburg, Sweden, soon becoming one of the world’s most popular and best selling ABBA performances. Since its formation, the band has toured over 70 countries, performed multiple TV and radio shows across the world, and, since 2005, completed 90 successful USA tours. ABBA fan clubs have referred to ARRIVAL as  “The Closest You Will Ever Get To ABBA!”

ARRIVAL as collaborated with more than 100 symphony orchestras world-wide, including Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They are the only group to have been provided with previously unreleased ABBA compositions directly from ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The song “Just A Notion” was released by ARRIVAL from Sweden in 1999, prior to it being released by ABBA itself in its 2021 Voyage album release.

“A compelling, sparkling virtuoso” (Boston Music Intelligencer), pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at age fourteen and has since performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

A champion of the music of Florence Price, Ms. Cann performed the New York City premiere of the composer’s Piano Concerto in One Movement with The Dream Unfinished Orchestra in July 2016 and the Philadelphia premiere with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin in February 2021, which the Philadelphia Inquirer called “exquisite.” She has also performed Price’s works for solo piano and chamber ensemble for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Detroit, and the New World Symphony, among other presenters.

Highlights of her 2021–22 season include debut performances with the Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis symphony orchestras, as well as her Canadian concert debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. She also receives the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, and the 2022 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. Embracing a dual role as both performer and pedagogue, her season includes teaching residencies at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the National Conference of the Music Teachers National Association.

Ms. Cann regularly appears in recital and as a chamber musician throughout the U.S., China, and South Korea. Notable venues include the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Barbican in London with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ms. Cann regularly performs duo recitals with her sister, pianist Kimberly Cann; together their “sheer verve and evident passion is something to behold” (Mountain Xpress).

Ms. Cann has appeared as cohost and collaborative pianist with NPR’s From The Top, collaborating with actor/conductor Damon Gupton, violinist Leila Josefowicz, and violinist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Gupta. She has also been featured on WRTI-FM and WHYY-TV in Philadelphia. Her summer festival appearances have included the Taos Chamber Music Festival, Yellow Barn, Perlman Music Program, Music Academy of the West, Geneva Music Festival, and Pianofest in the Hamptons, where she serves as artist in residence.

Ms. Cann has won top prizes in state, national, and international competitions including the International Russian Music Piano Competition, the Blount Slawson Young Artists Competition, and the Wideman International Piano Competition. In 2019 she served as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s MAC Music Innovator in recognition of her role as an African-American classical musician who embodies artistry, innovation, and a commitment to education and community engagement.

Ms. Cann manifests this commitment through her activities in Philadelphia and as part of touring engagements around the globe. She has served as the director of two children’s choruses in the El Sistema-inspired program Play On Philly and was among the first class of ArtistYear fellows at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she worked with community partners City Year, Teach for America, and AmeriCorps to provide arts education and access to underserved communities in Philadelphia. In 2019 she served on the faculty of the Sphinx Performance Academy during its inaugural year at the Juilliard School.

Ms. Cann holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Paul Schenly and Dr. Daniel Shapiro, and an Artist’s Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Robert McDonald.

Ms. Cann served as a collaborative staff pianist at the Curtis Institute of Music for several years. She joined the faculty in 2020 as the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies.

Chloé Tardif enjoys a varied career as an orchestral leader, chamber musician, and soloist. A student of William Fitzpatrick and Paul Kantor, she received her Bachelor of Music from Chapman University and her Master of Music from Rice University. Chloé has served as Principal Second Violinist of the Long Beach Symphony since its 2018-19 season. She is a proud new member of New West Symphony, having joined during its 2023-24 season as Associate Concertmaster.

A passionate chamber musician, Chloé has performed widely throughout Southern California with the Kaleidoscope Trio, and was part of an award-winning ensemble during her time at Chapman. Her group, the Chapman Duo, won first prize in competitions including the Francis Walton Ladies’ Musical Club Chamber Division in Seattle, Washington, where they toured the Puget Sound area performing recitals, outreach concerts at local schools, and for a broadcast on KING FM radio. Chloé has enjoyed performing chamber music with colleagues from the Long Beach Symphony. Their most recent performance was in the Mount Wilson Observatory in September of 2023 under the artistic direction of renowned cellist, Cécilia Tsan. In 2023, Chloé performed Vivaldi’s Summer as a soloist with the Long Beach Symphony, as well as Spring from Astor Piazzolla’s “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” with the OCSA Symphony Orchestra.

An enthusiastic music educator, Chloé has enjoyed teaching many classes at the Orange County School of the Arts since 2018. From 2018 to 2022, Chloé worked with her teacher, William Fitzpatrick, serving as the Assistant Director of his nonprofit organization, the MusiShare Young Artist Program (MSYAP). She was asked to return to Chapman as a professor in 2021, where she taught private violin students in the Hall-Musco Conservatory string department for two years. Although she is based in Orange County, Chloé also enjoys working as a recording musician in Los Angeles for studios including Disney, Fox, Sony, and Warner Bros.

Best known to millions of TV viewers as a top four finalist during the 2007 season of “American Idol,” LaKisha Jones is ready to reclaim center stage in music, theatre and television.

Her last album, “So Glad I’m Me” was full of Jones’ expressive, full-bodied and arresting vocals, the same voice that electrified “American Idol” viewers with the Dreamgirls showstopper “And I Am Telling You” and later the Broadway stage in the Oprah Winfrey produced, Tony Award-winning musical, The Color Purple.

Having worked with hit-making songwriters and producers including Tony Nicholas (Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross), Ro & Sauce (Brandy, Ne-Yo) and Greg Curtis (Keyshia Cole, Yolanda Adams), Jones’ album featured a spirited mix of R&B and soul. A few noteworthy songs included the single “Same Song,” penned by award-winning songwriter Dianne Warren, Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love,” the gospel song “Just As I Am,” and Jones soaring ballad to her daughter, “Beautiful Girl.”

Her drive and motivation dates back to her childhood in Flint, Michigan. Raised by her mother and grandmother, Jones was exposed to music by legendary singers such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle, with her grandmother urging the young girl to “let your voice shine” thereby prompting Jones to sing in church choirs and music programs. Joining various chorale groups and a cappella choruses throughout high school, Jones entered and won the top prize at Flint’s local talent contest, The Super Show in 1997.

A two-year stint studying vocal performance at the University of Michigan left the high school graduate craving to sing more. She relocated to various cities (Dallas, Houston and Virginia Beach) to pursue her dream as a singer.  Jones then went to New York to audition for “American Idol” and made it to the 2007 season, where she became the fourth finalist. She segued from “Idol” to the Broadway stage for The Color Purple where she played two roles: that of a “church lady” and of the pivotal character “Sophia.” The latter role she alternated with R&B icon Chaka Khan, who became her mentor. Jones participated in Khan’s 35th Anniversary Tour. Following her Broadway stint, Jones provided vocal coaching on MTV’s reality competition “Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods,” a show designed to find and hone Broadway’s next star.

A frequent soloist with symphony around the world, Ms. Jones has performed as a guest soloist with the National Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Utah Symphony and Opera, Winnipeg Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Windham Chamber Singers, Grand Rapids Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Symphony, Battle Creek Symphony, Reno Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Long Bay Symphony and the Festival Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

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.

After decades of performing, Thelma Houston continues to celebrate her long and outstanding career and shows no signs of slowing down! Over the course of many years, promoters have been asking Thelma, when is she going to return to her Motown roots?

After much thought, Thelma has decided that the timing was right to launch a brand new band show called: “THELMA HOUSTON’s MOTOWN Experience” The show features non-stop classic Motown songs (that we all know and love,) along with a tribute to Ms. Houston’s friend, the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin!

Thelma was asked to join a stellar list of artists honoring the illustrious career of the late Donna Summer, who Thelma knew. Thelma recorded covers of Donna’s classic songs: “Last Dance,” Could it Be Magic?” and “I Love You.” Thelma’s 23rd album, “A Woman’s Touch”, was released recently through Shout Factory Records (distributed by Sony/BMG) and offers her rich interpretations of many classic R&B and pop recordings originally made famous by such male vocalists as Luther Vandross, Rev. Al Green, Sting and Marvin Gaye.

A Mississippi native, Thelma started out in the 60’s performing in gospel music with the Art Reynolds Singers. She then signed to Capitol Records (home of the Beatles, Nat King Cole and Nancy Wilson) in 1967 and had her first hit song called “Baby Mine.” Soon Thelma was courted by several record labels and signed with ABC/Dunhill where she recorded and released her first solo album called “Sunshower” which was written, arranged and produced by the legendary Jimmy Webb. After this critically acclaimed album was released, Thelma decided to accept an offer from one of the biggest record companies around, Motown Records.

With Motown Records, Thelma claimed the top of the Pop, R&B and Dance charts with her high-powered rendition of “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” That Gold Record classic gave Thelma the distinction of being the first solo female artist at Motown to win the Grammy Award for “Best R&B Female Vocal Performance.”

Known as a humanitarian for her charitable causes and her tireless efforts in the battle against AIDS, the City of West Hollywood proclaimed January 29th as “Thelma Houston Day” in 2003. She has donated her talents to numerous charities including Devine Design for Project Angel Food, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and the Minority AIDS Project, to which she donated her $20,000 winnings from the TV show Hit Me Baby. She is also very active in the Beverly Hills/Hollywood branch of the NAACP.

Thelma has rocked Rockefeller Center on NBC’s The Today Show and the summer music special “Hit Me Baby, One More Time.”  She dazzled in ABC’s Motown 45 and glittered on ABC’s The Disco Ball. Along with Aretha Franklin and Mary Wilson, she raised the roof on Love, Rhythm and Blues for PBS.  Thelma appeared with Phoebe Snow, Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples and CeCe Peniston as the “Sisters of Glory” in New York City in a rousing performance that received a special request to perform at The Vatican for The Pope.

The legendary Nile Rogers called upon Thelma to be his special guest for a sold out concert at the Hollywood Bowl and she toured with Cher on her Living Proof Concert Tour. Additionally, she headlined at Harrah’s in Las Vegas. Thelma has also been inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City and honored as an “Apollo Legend” on the syndicated hit TV show, Showtime at the Apollo.

In April 2009, Thelma was honored to perform on the #1 rated television show in the USA, Fox’s American Idol, where she tore it up for an estimated audience of over 25 million people. Shortly after, Thelma was called upon to open up the finale of the hit summer show, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, for an estimated TV audience of over 18 million people. Thelma performs at many national dinner receptions for the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) and was honored to perform in Denver when Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination. In January 2009, Thelma then was asked to headline the official inauguration dinner for President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., at the Mayflower Hotel along with her friends, Cyndi Lauper and Melissa Etheridge. HRC President Joe Solmonese says, “It doesn’t get much better than Thelma, as she adds nothing but class to our events.”

2020 looks good as I collaborated with Morrissey on “Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know.” “It was interesting and fun working in the studio,” he said. “I enjoy performing very much. The performance part of my job is what I enjoy the most. When I perform, I like to do all kinds of music and I try to incorporate that in my show. For me, to do one kind of thing all the time is boring. Morrissey heard the song and a few years later, he asked me to do this song on his album. It was very easy to work with Morrissey in the studio,” she said.

Also released in early 2020 is the the dance single “Turn Your World Around” (on Radikal Records) with Bimbo Jones. “I’ve worked with Lee Dagger from Bimbo Jones before. He has done some remixes for me. That’s how the song came about. We wrote the song a few years ago and it was a lot of fun.” The song was worked on the Billboard Dance Charts and went all the way to #7.

With appearances from Tokyo to Las Vegas to London and beyond, Thelma continues to bring audiences to their feet with her dynamic, energetic Motown show. This Diva logs over 200 performances annually and the singer/songwriter is enjoying every moment of her success. “I still feel a tremendous excitement about performing,” states the upbeat songstress. “I have so many more things I want to do and I have NO plans to retire anytime soon.”

Thelma’s makes her main home in Los Angeles, CA.