Leadership
Arnold Lee, Founder & Music Director
Arnold Lee is an active choral conductor and clinician in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is well-known for his fun, upbeat approach to rehearsals while working with musicians across many music genres. He is also a committed volunteer for 13 for 13 (a movement focused on challenging systemic racism in business). Previous music leadership positions in the San Francisco Bay Area include the Oakland Symphony Chorus as well as numerous other musical organizations based in Oakland, CA.
Mr. Lee was also the Founder & Artistic Director of the Boston Chamber Ensemble (a professional chamber orchestra and chamber choir), Founder & Music Director of the Oberlin Bach Society, Assistant Conductor of the renowned Oberlin College Choir, as well as the Founder & Music Director of The Oberlin Obertones (Oberlin's first-ever a cappella group). He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Stanford University.
Lynne Morrow, Principal Guest Conductor
Dr. Lynne Morrow is a specialist in American music. She conducts opera, music theatre, and a cappella and accompanied choral music of all genres. The works of Stephen Sondheim and Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” are areas of her scholarship. Dr. Morrow has received The Heritage Keepers Award from The Friends of Negro Spirituals. She has also worked as a dramaturg for opera (funded by Opera America) as well with many local music groups around Oakland, CA.
From 2001-2024, Dr. Lynne Morrow directed the Voice and Opera/Music Theatre Programs at Sonoma State University, conducting full-scale Operas and works of Music Theatre each year. Dr. Morrow was also the director of Oakland Symphony Chorus from 2005-2022, working closely with Maestro Michael Morgan. She also commissioned new works and took the Chorus on its two international tours.
Dr. Morrow received a GRAMMY nomination for her work on Bernstein’s “Mass” with Kent Nagano and with the Pacific Mozart Ensemble (now Pacific Edge Voices). She also recorded two CDs of Dave Brubeck’s choral music with PME. Dr. Morrow was the music director of Pacific Edge Voices (PME) from 2005-2020.
Dr. Morrow presents workshops on African American Spirituals, and works as a clinician and conductor with choruses across the country on Spirituals and other American music. She has also given lectures on music for major Bay Area organizations including San Francisco Opera, Oakland Symphony, Stern Grove and Cal Performances. Dr. Morrow strives for a powerful connection to music, presenting works from every corner of the musical arts in fresh ways, to reach the widest possible audiences.
Swen Ervin, Creative Director
Swen Ervin is an incredibly versatile and accomplished singer. Swen has enjoyed working in many musical styles here and in his native Indiana where he was a soloist in the Indianapolis Arts Chorale, PMO Express, Clave Caribe and Almost Accidental, a vocal jazz quintet. He also sang with Oakland Symphony Chorus (often as a soloist). Swen is a founding singer in AfterGlow in Oakland, CA.
HIs excellence in music is equalled by his leadership skills in his HR career. In his own words: "My passion lies in ensuring equity is at the center of the work I do. While Human Resources has historically had very little focus on humanity, I see my role as one that is necessarily human-centered. Regulatory requirements will never disappear but the application of those regulations, applied in a way that honors the diversity and humanity of all stakeholders, is a must to bring the profession into the 21st century."
Max Addae, Artistic Advisor
Max Addae is a multi-faceted researcher, vocalist, composer/arranger, and creative technologist developing interactive voice technologies for musical and creative contexts. Max was a Graduate Research Assistant in the Opera of the Future group at the MIT Media Lab, advised by Tod Machover. Drawing from experiences in vocal performance, computation, and electroacoustic composition, Max's research aims to augment vocal expression and enhance the relationship between voice, technology, and embodiment.
Max is a graduate of Oberlin College & Conservatory (Double Degree in Computer Science and Technology in Music and Related Arts TIMARA), studying with Dr. Eli Stine. Max's works have been programmed and recognized internationally by organizations such as the International Society of Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR) and the Society of Composers (SCI) Inc., as well as in music festivals such as the Indiana State University Music Now Festival, the Oberlin Danenberg Honors Recital, and the Kansas City (KC) Vitas Chamber Choir concert series.
Outside of research work, Max sings and arranges a cappella music in various styles, and was one of the Music Directors of Berklee's esteemed pop/R&B a cappella group, Upper Structure. Max also is a founding singer in AfterGlow Chorus.