Our Staff
Stevie J. Hirner
Artistic Director
Primarily a choral conductor, Stevie J. Hirner (she/her) is also an active vocalist, composer, and arranger of choral music. As a transgender musician, she is currently pursuing her doctorate in choral music at the University of Southern California (USC), and her research on transgender inclusivity (www.transitioningvoices.org) is gaining international attention after presenting it at multiple universities and professional conferences, including the Western Division of the American Choral Directors’ Association (ACDA) in 2022 and the upcoming ACDA National Conference and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul, Turkey in the Spring of 2023. In her first two years at USC, she served as the lead conductor of USC’s Apollo Chorus and the University Chorus, respectively, and now she teaches undergraduate and graduate students in Choral Conducting classes.
Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Hirner served as the associate conductor of the Master Chorale of South Florida (MCSF) for four seasons from 2016-2020 and was recognized by the South Florida Classical Review for “[maintaining] a flowing line and [bringing] clarity to the contrapuntal writing,” while directing the ensemble in performance during the 2017-2018 season. In addition to working with the MCSF, she also served as the associate choral director at Miami Arts Charter School from 2017-2020, where she taught three middle school ensembles and two high school ensembles as well as assisting with the school’s vocal jazz program and founding the school’s first contemporary a cappella ensemble.
From 2014-2016, Hirner was the high school choir director at Collins Academy High School in the Chicago area. There, she built a choir program that included an 80-member beginning choir, 30-member honor choir, and a general music class. After moving to South Florida in 2016, she was the artistic administrator of the Florida Singing Sons Boychoir for one year and the choir director at Santaluces Community High School in Palm Beach County for the 2016-2017 school year, where she directed a beginning choir, an advanced treble ensemble, and an advanced mixed-ensemble while also teaching AP Music Theory.
Email: stevie@longbeachyouthchorus.org
Photographer: Natalie Costello
Chris Gomez
Assistant Director (YMP) & Operations Manager
Chris Gomez (he/him) is currently studying Choral Music Education at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB and directs the Young Musicians Program of the Long Beach Youth Chorus. As a singer, he has had the privilege of performing across the U.S. and Europe with the Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers and Bob Cole Chamber Choir, respectively. He can also be found singing with community ensembles, the Long Beach Camerata Singers and Voices for Social Justice. As an aspiring educator, Chris is committed to the enrichment of music education as a practice through the cultivation of diversity in the classroom and collaboration with culture-bearers.
Email: chris@longbeachyouthchorus.org
Malila Hollow
Collaborative Pianist
Malila Hollow (she/her) is a graduate of the CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, where she earned both a Bachelors and Masters of Music in Piano Performance. She studied under Mark Uranker and Craig Richey, respectively. Since graduating in 2017, Malila has enjoyed accompanying soloists at conservatories, multiple choir programs, and ballet classes of all levels, as well as teaching piano privately and directing musicals. In 2018, she had the pleasure of attending the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival on 3/4 scholarship and studied under Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg. She has also performed in masterclasses given by Dr. Hyunsoon Whang and Stewart Gordon. Notable performances include the MTAC Solo Piano Recital (2017), Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall (2019), and her appearance in 3 Yamaha Demo videos.
Sabrina Anderson
Artistic and Administrative Intern
Sabrina Anderson (she/her) is a singer, educator, and lifelong lover of music. She discovered her passion for vocal music during her early studies at the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. Later, she began shadowing local music producers where she took advantage of the opportunity to learn how to sing in recording studios by collaborating with local musicians by singing background vocals and learning to write hooks. Since that time, Anderson has studied many types of music at various institutions. Most notably, she studied music production and sound design for visual media at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and vocal jazz at Kansas City’s Kansas Community College. Currently, she is studying music at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University in Long Beach while working toward her music education teaching credential.
Sarah Ruopp
LBYC Vocal Coach
Sarah Ruopp (she/her) is a mezzo-soprano and educator dedicated to performing authentically and making the world of music a safe space for everyone. She has performed at ACDA National and various venues across Southern Europe with the Bob Cole Chamber Choir. She also sings with Jazz & Tonic, a jazz voice ensemble at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.
Sarah was raised in Lake Arrowhead, CA before moving to the LA area, and she is currently pursuing her BM in Choral Music Education at CSU Long Beach. She has enjoyed past opportunities to sing with the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale and to serve as assistant director for three ensembles over the course of her studies. Sarah fully realized her love for teaching while working as a music tutor and is excited to further a career in education. Her hobbies include reading, gaming, hiking, and playing volleyball.
Stan DeWitt
Executive Director
Stan DeWitt is an acclaimed conductor, singer, guitarist and composer whose work crosses into all realms of music. He was on the faculty at Coastline College for 26 years, and has taught or directed at Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach City College, Cypress College and Fullerton College. He was the Artistic Director for Zephyr: Voices Unbound and has sung with numerous professional small ensembles, including L.A. Schola and De Angelis Vocal Ensemble. He is currently the Minister of Music at Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, a producer for the Sound Ministry Gurus production team, and founding Executive Director for the Long Beach Youth Chorus.