»Chapman Choral Festival

Lesley Leighton has performed as a conductor and singer at Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Hollywood Bowl, Opernhaus Köln, Glyndebourne, and Glimmerglass, and has worked with and prepped for world-renowned conductors Gustavo Dudamel, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, David Newman, Anthony Parnther, and the late Bramwell Tovey, in addition to composers David Lang, John Adams, and Eric Whitacre. She made her Los Angeles Opera and Los Angeles Philharmonic conducting debuts in the 2018-19 season in two works by David Lang, in addition to preparing Los Robles Master Chorale for its debut at the Ojai Festival. She is currently the Principal Guest Conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, performing with them several times a season, and was the Associate Conductor of Los Angeles Master Chorale from 2010-2016, in addition to serving as the Artistic Director of Los Robles Master Chorale from 2007-2022. She most recently worked with the LA Phil in December 2024 (and will repeat this in Dec 2025), preparing the chorus for conductor and film composer David Newman, for the live to screen performance of Home Alone, which she also prepped the December performances of Home Alone in 2023, featuring the chorus of CSUSB. She also serves as the Department of Music Chair, and Director of Conducting & Choral Activities at California State University San Bernardino; the Director of Music at Glendale First United Methodist Church; and in March 2025 was appointed Artistic Director of Angeles Chorale. Leighton’s voice can be heard on more than 120 film and television soundtracks, most recently on Ghostbusters 3, Chucky, Super Mario Bros. Movie, Captain Marvel, Sing2, Mulan, Deadpool, and Twisters (both 2024 and 1996) as well as classics like Frozen I & II, and The Lion King. She recently recorded the soundtrack of Superman at Warner Brothers for its July 2025 release in movie theatres. A native of Los Angeles, Leighton earned a BA in conducting from Loyola Marymount University, an MM in vocal performance and a DMA in conducting and choral music from the University of Southern California.

John Alexander is the Artistic Director Emeritus of Pacific Chorale in Orange County, California. He served as the ensemble’s Artistic Director and Conductor from 1972 to 2017. Under his leadership, Pacific Chorale grew to become one of the foremost symphonic choirs in the nation.

Since 2006, the Chorale has served as the professional resident choir at the Segerstrom Center of the Arts in Orange County, collaborating regularly with its sister organization, the Pacific Symphony. During Alexander’s tenure, Pacific Chorale toured extensively in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America, and produced numerous world premiere recordings of works by composers such as Frank Ticheli, Jake Heggie, Stephen Paulus, James Hopkins, Morten Lauridsen, Richard Danielpour, Philip Glass, William Bolcom, and Eric Goldenthal. As a specialist in the choral/orchestral repertoire, Alexander’s long and distinguished conducting career has encompassed taking the podium for hundreds of professional choral/orchestral performances, recordings and premieres around the globe. Alexander is equally proficient behind the scenes, having had the privilege of preparing choruses for some of the world’s most prominent orchestral conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Carl St.Clair, Gerard Schwarz, Marin Alsop, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart. 

Alexander holds the title of Professor Emeritus at California State University, Fullerton, where he served as Director of Choral Studies from 1996 to 2006. Earlier, he held the same position at California State University, Northridge for 25 years. After his retirement from academia, Alexander has continued his involvement in the pre-professional training of choral conductors. He is a founding member of Chorus America’s Choral/Orchestral Conducting Academy and continues to serve that program as an Emeritus Faculty Member. During his long distinguished teaching career, Alexander has served as mentor, coach, and teacher to hundreds of conductors and singers who now hold prominent positions across the United States. Alexander’s numerous tributes and awards include Chorus America’s Michael Korn Distinguished Service Award (2024), ACDA’s Howard Swan Award (2017), CSUF School of Music’s Titan of Music award (2016) Chorus America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art (2008); CSUF School of the Arts’ Distinguished Faculty Member award (2006), Arts Orange County’s  Helena Modjeska Artistic Visionary Award (2003), Los Angeles County’s Gershwin Award for Artistic Leadership (1990) and Cal State University Northridge’s  Distinguished Professor Award (1977)