KAREEM SATER is a 7th grader at Orchard Hills Middle School. He has been an avid singer and musician ever since he can remember. Kareem discovered his love for music at a very early age, and embraced it with drumming and voice lessons. He started his singing career when he joined and excelled at the 5th Grade Honor Choir in Tustin’s School District. Kareem has been at Southern California Children’s Chorus and at Orchard Hills School choir for two years. When he’s not singing, Kareem loves to go biking with his family, playing with his dog Bear, and playing video games with his brother and sister.
JACOB THOMPSON is 14 years old attending Gordon H Beatty Junior High School. He is in the 8th grade. He has been a member of the Southern California Children’s Chorus for four years now, and has always enjoyed music. Not too long ago he picked up the violin, and has had much enjoyment from playing such a beautiful instrument. He enjoyed being a part of the ensemble in three operas – his last opportunity was on the Segerstrom stage with Pacific Chorale in La Bohème in April 2024. Recognizing special achievement beyond expectation, in attitude, attendance, leadership, and influence on other choristers to excel, he received the Director’s Award while a member of the Advanced Chorus level. This is the highest honor bestowed by SCCC. He plans to be a software engineer, as he really likes the balance between work and life, and it’s something he also enjoy doing - coding.
Since graduating with her master’s degree from the USC Thornton School of Music, CHELSEA CHAVES has sung with Pacific Chorale, soloed with Pacific Symphony, and performed at various private events around Los Angeles and Orange County. Chelsea is currently performing in Pacific Symphony’s Class Act program and is the Engagement and Education Coordinator for Long Beach Opera. In 2018, she was a recipient of a prestigious vocal scholarship from the Profant Foundation in Santa Barbara. Roles performed include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) with the Astoria Music Festival, Hanna Glawari (Die lustige Witwe) with Chapman University, and Lay Sister (Suor Angelica) with Opera Santa Barbara. She has also covered the roles of Violetta (La Traviata) and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) for Pacific Symphony. Previous Young Artist Programs include OperaWorks, SongFest, the Astoria Music Festival and Musiktheater Bavaria. She was a finalist for the Loren L. Zachary Competition in 2015 and has sung the National Anthem at two Lakers games. For more information, visit www.chelseachaves.com.
Mezzo-soprano JANE HYUN- JUNG SHIM , a native of Korea, is known as a rich, clear and sensitive singer. Shim studied at Cal State University, Fullerton. While in school, she was coached as a soprano and has performed many soprano roles. She also won several competitions while in school. Shim is now a familiar face to Orange County choral music audiences as a mezzo-soprano. Since joining Pacific Chorale in 1999, she has appeared as a soloist in many works, including Bach’s B Minor Mass, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Duruflé’s Requiem, Verdi’s La Traviata, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Bach’s Magnificat, Haydn’s “Nelson” Mass, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, and many more. She has been a featured soloist with Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Long Beach Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Musica Angelica, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Pacific Chorale, John Alexander Singers, Chorus America Conducting Academy, Berkshire Choral International, Long Beach Camerata Singers, Dallas Korean Master Chorale, Angeles Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Choir, Southern California Korean Christian Choir, Hour of Power Choir, CSU Fullerton University Singers and Azusa Pacific University. Shim’s international performances include the European premiere of Jake Heggie’s “He Will Gather Us Around” (from Dead Man Walking) at St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, and Franziskanerkirche (Franciscan Church of St. Jerome) in Vienna. She has also performed at Matthias Church in Budapest, Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) in Vienna, St Sulpice, St Étienne du Mont, St Louis en l’Île, and La Madeleine in Paris. Her beautiful solo work of Duruflé’s Requiem with Pacific Chorale’s Choral Festival 2011 led to a performance at Église St-Étienne-du-Mont, where Duruflé had been the titular organist. Ms. Shim is currently the alto section leader of Pacific Chorale and a soloist at Good Stewards Church.
Praised by the Orange County Register as “resonant and warm” and by the classical music site Bachtrack as “a ringing stentorian tenor,” Hawai’i native NICHOLAS PRESTON is in demand as a soloist in Southern California and beyond, having performed throughout California and touring as a soloist in France, Italy, and Spain. He has been a member of Grammy Award-winning Pacific Chorale since 2002, and frequently appears as a soloist with the ensemble. Mr. Preston has also performed as a soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. He has worked under the batons of John Alexander, Carl St.Clair, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Nicholas McGegan, Kent Nagano, John Mauceri, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Grant Gershon and Gustavo Dudamel. His solo appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Horatio Parker’s Hora Novissima, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, Bach’s B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Judas Maccabeus, and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. More recent performances include the role of “Messenger” in Pacific Symphony’s production of Aida, soloist in Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with Pacific Chorale, soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Long Beach Symphony, soloist with Orchestra Santa Monica, and soloist in Pacific Chorale’s 2022-23 season finale and 2023 European Tour. Nicholas was featured in the world premiere of Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna, commissioned for the grand opening of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and premiered by the Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony under the direction of Carl St.Clair in 2006. In 2018, he reprised the role as his solo debut in Carnegie Hall. Nicholas is involved with Pacific Symphony’s award-winning education programs as a presenter with the Class Act program as well as a featured soloist in the Youth Concerts. Nicholas received his B.A. in Music from Loyola Marymount University, and currently resides in Orange County with his wife Dr. Kathleen Preston and their daughter Zelda.
MATTHEW KELLAWAY is a professional singer, teacher, and conductor known for his warm and rich baritone voice as well as his versatility of style in music. He has been a soloist with the Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Disney’s Candlelight Concerts, and has sung with Disney’s Voices of Liberty, The John Alexander Singers, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Over the past ten years, Matthew has been the director of Men’s Chorus and private voice instructor at Biola University and also directed the Tenor/Bass Chorale, Treble Chorale, and Musical Theatre Ensemble at Fullerton College. Matthew currently serves as Operations Manager for Contra- Tiempo, a professional dance company out of the Los Angeles area.