The Oakland Symphony Chorus enriches our community through high quality musical performances and educational workshops that raise appreciation and understanding of choral music, while providing performance opportunities for people who love to sing. Established in 1958, Oakland Symphony Chorus is one of the East Bay’s finest choirs, and a premier resource for continuing education in the choral arts. In June 2015, the chorus traveled to Budapest, Györ, Vienna, and Prague for its first international tour. The Chorus performs regularly with its partners, Oakland Symphony and Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as with a variety of other Bay Area orchestras. In June 2018, the Chorus toured Italy and gave concerts in Rome, Pisa, and San Marco Cathedral in Venice. In April 2019, the Chorus premiered a new choral orchestral work, Mass for Freedom, written by Bay Area composer Michael Roberts. This commissioned work used Spirituals (which became Freedom songs in the 1960’s) as the source material.

Grammy-nominated conductor Ash Walker began his musical career with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale, where he traveled throughout the U.S., as well as Switzerland, Australia, South Africa, Israel and many other countries.. While completing a B.A. in music at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, Ash co-founded and directed the Men’s Choir, served as Drum Major of the Marauder Marching Band, and President of the American Choral Directors Association, Lancaster. After graduating, Ash served as Director of Curriculum for the Music Preparatory Program at El Redentor United Methodist Church in Lancaster, while also serving as Director of Choirs for the Pennsylvania Academy of Music.

In 2009 Ash founded the ‘Music for Everyone,’ Lancaster Community Chorus. Serving as Artistic Director of this non auditioned community choir, whose mission was cultivating the power of community and music in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. During this time, Ash also served as Director of Music at Linden Hall School for Girls in Lititz, PA, and performed regularly with the Mendelssohn Club Choir of Philadelphia as a core singer and soloist. More recently, Ash completed his Masters degree in Choral Conducting at California State University East Bay, where he won the Trustees Scholarship, sang with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Boris Godunov, and on two occasions presented research at National American Choral Directors Association Conferences with his mentor and CSU professor Dr. Buddy James. He also founded the People’s Choir of Fremont and served as Director of Choirs at Mt. Eden High School. Ash now lives in Oakland California and serves as Chorus Director of the Oakland Symphony, Artistic Director of Pacific Edge Voices, and Cantor and Associate Director of Choirs at the Cathedral of Saint Mary; Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Carmina Burana