People
Nancy Sulahian, Director
Nancy Sulahian is the conductor of the Caltech Glee Clubs and Chamber Singers. She holds music degrees from the University of Southern California, having studied choral conducting with Rodney Eichenberger, instrumental conducting with Daniel Lewis and voice with Herta Glaz.
A long-time core member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Ms. Sulahian also performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra singing under conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, Kurt Mazur and Pierre Boulez. An active concert soloist and classical recording artist, her voice is also heard on several movie soundtracks. She is music director at the First United Methodist Church of Glendale and conductor of Disneyland’s annual Christmas Candlelight Procession.
Alan Geier, Accompanist
Alan graduated in 1975 from Pomona
College, where he studied piano with John Steele Ritter, played chamber
music with Giora Bernstein, accompanied the Glee Clubs under William F.
Russell, and sang in the Blue & White Barbershop Quartet. He
received his Master's Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks
College in 1978, and for more than 25 years has worked as a full-time
music teacher for Middle and Upper School students and Polytechnic
School in Pasadena, California. In 1986-87, as a recipient of the
Dudley Wright Grant, he spent a year making music and studying German
in Vienna, Austria. For many years, Alan was the Piano Coach for the
Adult Chamber Music Workshops at Humboldt State University (where he is
on the Music Faculty as a Faculty Associate), and this summer will mark
his fifth year as Director of the Workshop. Alan is active as a
freelance pianist and singer in Southern California, including work
with the Donald Brinegar Singers, the California Philharmonic Chorale,
Pasadena Pro Musica, and the Wagner Ensemble. Alan has been fortunate
to work with many fine conductors and composers, including Michael
Tilson Thomas, Jester Hairston, Rodney Eichenberger, Daniel Pinkham,
Roger Wagner, Morten Lauridsen, Frank Ticheli, and Eric Whitacre.
William
Schmidt, Accompanist
Bill has been
accompanying in the Los Angeles area for the last 22 years. He received
his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, and then moved to California in 1985 to pursue an
advanced degree in accompanying at USC, where he studied with Brooks
Smith. He currently serves on the staff of the Academy of Jewish
Religion in Los Angeles, where he accompanies the cantorial liturgy
classes. He is the accompanist for all choral activities at Flintridge
Preparatory School in La Canada, and also accompanies for the LA Opera
program "Voices for Tolerance" in several local school districts. He
serves as an organist at Oneonta Congregational Church in South
Pasadena, and accompanies the Anglican Chorale as they perform in
various churches in the Southern California area.