Leadership
Marja Liisa Kay - Executive Director
Dr. Marja Liisa Kay is an arts & higher education administrator, classical/experimental voice artist, and travel enthusiast. She is committed to conveying the human necessity of creative expression and applying creative thinking to manage resources, inspire audience engagement, and to facilitate an environment of consensus, collaboration, and co-leadership.
Once described as a “tour de force” by Linda Hirst, Marja Liisa has sung with numerous symphonies and premiered principle roles in new operas throughout Europe and Los Angeles, including Michael Gordon and Richard Foreman's What to Wear, Anne Le Baron’s cyber-erotic Sucktion, Ellen Reid’s looping scene in HOPSCOTCH with Industry Opera, and Georges Aperghis’ Sextour, L’origin des espèces. Dr. Kay also performed with Chimera Ensemble, The 24, C3LA, Ergodos Voices, 18-Squared, and as a child was a member of the Young Americans. Memorable performances include Vivier’s Lonely Child, Donnacha Dennehy’s Junkbox Fraud, Berio’s Laborintus 2 with Birmingham Opera and Vic Hoyland, Stockhausen’s Carré, Dallapiccola’s Due Liriche di Anacreonte, Berio’s Sinfonia, Ligeti’s Aventures, John Luther Adams’ Sila: The Breath of the World, Varese’s Offrandes, Jose Gurria’s Suite for Two Countries, and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms as the soprano soloist.
No stranger to the recording studio, Marja has worked as a studio singer for James Horner during research sessions for the feature film, Avatar, and can be heard on David Rosenboom’s albums, Deviant Resonances and Naked Curvature. Dr. Marja Liisa Kay holds a PhD from the University of York in England, an MFA from California Institute of the Arts, and a BM from Chapman University.
Braden Pontoli - Artistic Director
Braden Pontoli is a Los Angeles-based vocalist, pianist, conductor, composer, sound artist, and sound healer. Classically trained, Braden began to write music for the vocal and instrumental stage. Then he fell in love collaborating with movement and multi-media. Braden’s work has been characterized as meditative, invigorating, and energizing. Credits include collaborations with producer Peter Rafelson (Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Lady GaGa, Beyoncé) scoring and editing “The Last Saturday Night” (Ed Asner, Sherilyn Fenn, Eric Roberts). Braden also composes music for collaborative works including commissions with Heidi Duckler Dance, CalArts Film/Dance, and MorrisonDance. Braden’s recent sound installation “Come to My Regenerative Garden” was featured at the CalArts Expo and popped up throughout Los Angeles in the spring of 2024.
Braden recently co-founded and is the Artistic Director for a new professional vocal ensemble “Keiju Kollectiv," paying homage to Nordic folk music. Braden is currently on rosters for Los Angeles Master Chorale, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Long Beach Camerata Singers, and the San Diego Festival Chorus. Previous conducting appointments included serving as artistic director for the CalArts Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and award-winning Learwood Middle School choirs in Avon Lake, OH. Braden has served as a clinician for choirs and festival choruses around the United States including Pennsylvania and Ohio Music Education Associations. Braden holds a Master of Fine Arts focused in Music Performance and Composition from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music Education from Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Sopranos
Stephanie Aston
Stephanie Aston is “fearless” in her pursuit of new repertoire (Steve Schick). She has participated in numerous American and world premieres including Luigi Nono’s Guai ai Gelidi Mostri, Michael Gordon’s What to Wear, and George Aperghis’ Sextuor: L’Origine des espèces. She has appeared on L.A. Philharmonic Green Umbrella, Noon to Midnight and Chamber Music Series, (Re)Sounds at Stanford University, and at REDCAT. Ms. Aston is an original member of Kallisti, and a founding member of ROMP Ensemble, ASTRALIS DUO and Accordant Commons. She has performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, wasteLAnd, Long Beach Opera, The Industry, Red Fish Blue Fish, Gnarwhallaby, Chamber Cartel, 18-squared, and ad-hoc ensembles at Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Norfolk Contemporary Music Festival, UC San Diego, Stanford University, Chatter ABQ and Los Angeles. Stephanie is an affiliated artist with San Diego New Music. Noteworthy performances include Brian Ferneyhough’s Etudes Transcendantales, John Zorn’s Rituals, Jason Eckardt’s Tongues, John Adams’ A Flowering Tree (Kumudha), Edgard Varese’ Offrandes, Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and Alberto Ginastera’s Cantata Para America Magica. Stephanie can be heard on the soundtrack for the movie Downsizing. Ms. Aston holds a D.M.A. from University of California San Diego, an M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts, and a B.M. from University of North Texas and currently teaches at Moorpark College and Mount St Mary’s University.
Tany Ling
Tany Ling is a vocalist, choral conductor, and music educator based in Los Angeles and active in the classical, new/experimental/microtonal, improvisation, and art music scenes. She appears regularly in recitals while also exploring new compositions, recently collaborating on projects with Open Gate Theater, Vinny Golia, and LA Readers Chorus. She has premiered new works with Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, Accordant Commons, Community Chorus, Long Beach Opera, The Industry, Lucky Dragons, Calarts Center for New Performance, Microfest, and Pacific Standard Time, and has presented at The Broad, Ford Amphitheater, Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT, Greystone Mansion, Hammer Museum, and the Getty Museum. Film credits include Encanto and Avatar. As a former touring artist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Industrial Jazz Group, and prize-winning choirs, she has been a featured soloist at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall. She maintains active vocal studios both privately and at the historic Neighborhood Music School in Boyle Heights.
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Altos
Marja Liisa Kay
Dr. Marja Liisa Kay is an arts & higher education administrator, classical/experimental voice artist, and travel enthusiast. She is committed to conveying the human necessity of creative expression and applying creative thinking to manage resources, inspire audience engagement, and to facilitate an environment of consensus, collaboration, and co-leadership.
Once described as a “tour de force” by Linda Hirst, Marja Liisa has sung with numerous symphonies and premiered principle roles in new operas throughout Europe and Los Angeles, including Michael Gordon and Richard Foreman's What to Wear, Anne Le Baron’s cyber-erotic Sucktion, Ellen Reid’s looping scene in HOPSCOTCH with Industry Opera, and Georges Aperghis’ Sextour, L’origin des espèces. Dr. Kay also performed with Chimera Ensemble, The 24, C3LA, Ergodos Voices, 18-Squared, and as a child was a member of the Young Americans. Memorable performances include Vivier’s Lonely Child, Donnacha Dennehy’s Junkbox Fraud, Berio’s Laborintus 2 with Birmingham Opera and Vic Hoyland, Stockhausen’s Carré, Dallapiccola’s Due Liriche di Anacreonte, Berio’s Sinfonia, Ligeti’s Aventures, John Luther Adams’ Sila: The Breath of the World, Varese’s Offrandes, Jose Gurria’s Suite for Two Countries, and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms as the soprano soloist.
No stranger to the recording studio, Marja has worked as a studio singer for James Horner during research sessions for the feature film, Avatar, and can be heard on David Rosenboom’s albums, Deviant Resonances and Naked Curvature. Dr. Marja Liisa Kay holds a PhD from the University of York in England, an MFA from California Institute of the Arts, and a BM from Chapman University.
Lola Gayle
Lola Gayle is a DTLA based artist whose mediums are music (singing and song writing ) and visual art. Singing since the age of 5, Lola is both classically trained and has also studied under contemporary Grammy Award Winning American Vocal Coach Seth Riggs. Lola has lent her voice to church choirs, small ensembles, private events, commercial radio spots, independent film composers, and video games.
In collaboration with her husband composer Mikael Sandgren, Lola works on various projects including their own music group MiLO. Performances by MiLO include venues such as El Cid, Bordello (DTLA), Pacific Design Center Museum, and The Skirball Cultural Center. MiLO has been featured in local articles including The Pasadena Weekly and on line music reviews.
MiLo has been described as
“the product of the downtown art scene and shares a thoughtful aesthetic that embraces opposites and space…”
“Rare are the artists who can still club chatter with a measure of song.”
“Lola Gayle-Sandgren, whose big, resonant voice can dominate a room even when she’s purring low notes”
In the visual medium, her image has been captured and projected in works by visual artists both local and world renowned. In 2011 she was commissioned by then video artist Bill Viola, to portray a modern day Madonna and child in a permanent installation at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. Inspired by this event Lola began her venture into visual art by manipulating her own image by creating large-scale, mixed media, self portraits.
Tenors
Jessica Basta
Jessica Basta is a veteran singer, recording artist, composer/arranger, and international performer whose practice emphasizes creative collaboration and experimentation. Distinctive and versatile, her voice can be heard on myriad recordings across all media. As a performer, she has appeared on stages and screens all across the U.S., Canada, and Europe — and is equally at home in local venues ranging from the Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Ford Amphitheatre to Zebulon and the Mueller Tunnel.
The L.A. Times stated that Jess sings “with a flair for parody and proved ebullient” performing her own arrangements of historical presidential campaign songs for Brightwork newmusic. Recently, Jess has appeared: as “Pebble” in Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs’ site-specific opera “Distance Duet” for High Desert Test Sites; as one of Susan Silton’s Crowing Hens in “We’re Here! What Now?”, a multidisciplinary happening with Wild Up and composer Sarah Hennies; and as a featured composer for SADFAM Records’ new release, “The Way To You”. Her voiceover work has been featured in The Sonic Acts Biennial (Amsterdam) and the LUMINEX festival (Los Angeles) with Lucky Dragons. Jess currently serves as the “Official Voice” of Futuur.com, and has been enjoying her recent work as a ‘creature vocal’ specialist for film and TV.
Other notable projects include: Marshweed Ensemble, SADFAM (as “Mess”), The Adjusters (Chicago), Rench (Oscar Owens/Gangstagrass, New York), Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs’ Eurydice Ensemble, Moira Smiley and VOCO, Trip Dance Music Ensemble, The Crowing Hens, Wild Up, Lucky Dragons, Vaginal Davis, Southland Ensemble, Music for Your Inbox, Monsters from the Id (comedy show), Readers Chorus, Singing by Numbers, O-no? O-yes! Yoko! Band, and Shell Dwellers.
Jess is a graduate of the University of Chicago, and holds dual degrees in Art History and Art and Design.
Mikael Sandgren
A native of Sweden, Mikael Sandgren studied classical piano & composition between the ages of 6-18 with Ingemar Englund. He also sang with the Gothenburg Cathedral Boys Choir, which was considered one of Europe’s best.
Mikael started his music career as a recording artist signed to Telegram Records, one of Sweden’s first indie labels. He came to the US on a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. After graduating with a dual major in Film Scoring and Song Writing in 1991, he moved to LA to co-write, play for and produce recording artists in various styles, notably R&B greats such as George Benson, Jennifer Holiday, Carl Anderson, Phil Ingram, and Bobby Lyle.
Between 1999-2006 Mikael was resident composer & creative director at Soundelux DMG in Hollywood. He composed for film, video games and TV adverts, garnering a BAFTA nomination (EA Generals “Command & Conquer”), and an Addy award (Budweiser “True Refreshment”).
Mikael also does music editing & arranging for film/TV, finding it stimulating to see how directors think about music, especially as film music has expanded into new and different styles. HIs credits include Memento, Enlightened, Icarus, White Lotus as well as larger tentpole titles such as Top Gun Maverick and Smile 1 & 2. Other composers Mikael has worked with include Hans Zimmer, Tom Holkenborg, Ludwig Göransson, Daniel Pemberton, Christophe Beck, Mark Isham, and Mark Mothersbaugh.
Another great influence has been video artist Bill Viola, whom Mikael worked with since 1999, doing composition with mostly non-tonal elements. Bill’s works are displayed in public spaces such as the Guggenheim, Getty, or contemporary art exhibits like the Venice Biennale.
Outside of Film/TV work Mikael writes concert music, songs for his band MiLO, and leads a Swedish traditional choral ensemble.
Bass
Braden Pontoli
Braden Pontoli is a Los Angeles-based vocalist, pianist, conductor, composer, sound artist, and sound healer. Classically trained, Braden began to write music for the vocal and instrumental stage. Then he fell in love collaborating with movement and multi-media. Braden’s work has been characterized as meditative, invigorating, and energizing. Credits include collaborations with producer Peter Rafelson (Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Lady GaGa, Beyoncé) scoring and editing “The Last Saturday Night” (Ed Asner, Sherilyn Fenn, Eric Roberts). Braden also composes music for collaborative works including commissions with Heidi Duckler Dance, CalArts Film/Dance, and MorrisonDance. Braden’s recent sound installation “Come to My Regenerative Garden” was featured at the CalArts Expo and popped up throughout Los Angeles in the spring of 2024.
Braden recently co-founded and is the Artistic Director for a new professional vocal ensemble “Keiju Kollectiv," paying homage to Nordic folk music. Braden is currently on rosters for Los Angeles Master Chorale, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Long Beach Camerata Singers, and the San Diego Festival Chorus. Previous conducting appointments included serving as artistic director for the CalArts Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and award-winning Learwood Middle School choirs in Avon Lake, OH. Braden has served as a clinician for choirs and festival choruses around the United States including Pennsylvania and Ohio Music Education Associations. Braden holds a Master of Fine Arts focused in Music Performance and Composition from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music Education from Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Gregory Good
Gregory Good is a film composer, music producer, and vocalist based in Los Angeles. His orchestral works have been performed by the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Ithaca College & Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestras.
As a result of being granted the Lee Goldstein Music Composition Award at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, he was commissioned to write something came from nothing for orchestra and develop a multisensory performance with visuals projected onto the ensemble. This coincided with his research project that Baldwin Wallace also funded, entitled The Multisensory Concert Experience, a Future for Contemporary Concert Music. He has maintained close relationships with film directors, writing and producing numerous scores for film and dance projects, most recently his 1920’s jazz score for Spacehead Productions’ Scott and Zelda At Home (2025).
Gregory has spent many years teaching musical theater, piano and composition at Art House Astoria in Queens, NY. Recently, he has worked as a set production assistant for several movies and tv shows, some of which include Maestro (2023), Only Murders in the Building S2 (2022), and No Hard Feelings (2023).
An accomplished arranger, his choral settings of the folk songs “Half Acre” and “Leave me Here” have been performed by high school and collegiate choirs all over the world, having been distributed by Gia Publications as a part of the Music from Westminster Choral Series.
Ian Schipper
Ian Schipper is a bass-baritone who enjoys exploring the full range of human musical experience by performing a wide variety of art songs, oratorios, and operas. He has featured up and down the West Coast as the Bass soloist for numerous Bach Oratorios as well as the Masses of Haydn and Mozart. He sings Bass with a number of choral groups, both on the West Coast and across the United States, including the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Sterling Ensemble, Long Beach Camerata singers, Catalyst Chamber Choir, San Diego Symphony, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Ian earned a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and a Bachelor degree in Music and Economics cum Laude at St. Olaf College. During business hours, he can be found working in marketing and data science for Arts nonprofits. He is also an award-winning composer with Music Teachers National Association and an active researcher in the fields of Economics and Medical Informatics. Ian hails from Portland, Oregon, and enjoys hiking and backpacking around the Pacific Northwest. Ian is a lifelong Tolkien fan, having read The Hobbit at least 30 times, and he can frequently be found carrying a “pocket version” of the Lord of the Rings.
"Of the theme that I have declared to you, I will now that ye make in harmony together a Great Music. And since I have kindled you with the Flame Imperishable, ye shall show forth your powers in adorning this theme, each with his own thoughts and devices, if he will. But I will sit and hearken, and be glad that through you great beauty has been wakened into song." - Eru Iluvatar, The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien.