FEATURING

Urs Leonhardt Steiner

Music Director / Conductor 

Urs Leonhardt Steiner is internationally renowned as a conductor, guitarist, educator, and composer. He founded the orchestra that would become the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in 1994. Originally from Chur, Switzerland, he studied at the University of Tubingen and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He studied conducting with James Wimer and Gustav Meier, and master classes with Andre Previn, Erich Leinsdorf, Leonard Bernstein, and Herbert von Karajan. 

Maestro Steiner’s original compositions include the operas Il Secondo Settenio and Return of the Phantoms which have been performed to critical acclaim in Switzerland and the United States. In addition to leading the Golden Gate Symphony in local and international endeavors, he is a frequent guest conductor with orchestras and ensembles in Europe, the United States and Central America.

Loretta Taylor

Concertmaster

Ms. Taylor has been the concertmaster of the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus since its founding. She has worked extensively with many orchestras throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and has performed in orchestras in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Perth, Australia. In addition to being the concertmaster of the Golden Gate Symphony, Ms. Taylor teaches at the San Francisco Community Music Center and is principal second violin of the Santa Cruz County Symphony. She has coached chamber music for the Chamber Musicians of Northern California and the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop; and she has been a soloist with the Old First Orchestra, the Community Music Center Orchestra, and the New Millenium Strings. Ms. Taylor is a graduate of San Francisco State University, magna cum laude.

Madison Smith

Soprano

Soprano Madison Smith is renowned for her thrilling, golden voice and versatility across classical and contemporary music. She has performed extensively around the world, including at Davies Symphony Hall, and has been a featured artist with the acclaimed new music ensemble Volti. She holds degrees in Voice Performance from The Boston Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Kent Nagano, Vance George, Barbara Bonney, and Karl Paulnack.

In addition to her singing career, Madison is a coach who blends more than 20 years of professional singing with years of dance training, extensive work with physical therapists, and over a decade of Integrative Alexander Technique study. She helps clients connect with their bodies to redefine expectations in their personal lives and careers.

Alodiah Lunar

Alto

Alodiah Lunar, Mezzo-Soprano, brings a vibrant and diverse musical background across classical, jazz, and pop genres as both a soloist and ensemble singer. After a long hiatus to pursue graduate studies, explore dance arts, and embrace the journey of motherhood, Alodiah has recently returned to solo singing and is now in her second year with the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of California, Irvine, where she studied classical voice under Elizabeth Pehlivanian and Christina Dahlin. Her musical stage experience includes performing the role of Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, directed by Robin Buck and conducted by Stephen Tucker, and appearing as Gaia in Nature Stories, a multidisciplinary work centered on environmental themes, recently performed at San Francisco’s Stern Grove Festival under the creative direction of professional dancer and artist Kaeshi Chai. Following the Golden Gate Symphony’s recent tour to Switzerland, where she was featured as a chamber soloist, Alodiah is delighted to make her official solo debut on the symphony stage this season. She continues to pursue music performance with a renewed intention to build inclusive communities, promote health and well-being, elevate environmental awareness, and inspire positive social change.

Michael Desnoyers

Tenor

Sought out for his “rich and resonant” and “sweet, well-projected lyric tenor,” Michael Desnoyers has sung over 50 different roles across Bay Area stages. He has performed most of the major roles in the Mozart tenor repertoire, including Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Belmonte and Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and the title role in La clemenza di Tito. Other favorite roles include Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Rodolfo (La Boheme), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Albert (Albert Herring), and Frederic (The Pirates of Penzance). Michael can be heard on the Lamplighters’ CD recordings, singing the role of Marco in The Gondoliers, Cyril in Princess Ida, Ernest in The Grand Duke, and Lord Tolloller in Iolanthe, where he was praised by Opera News for his “crystal clear timbre.” He will also be featured as Marco on their upcoming release of The Gondoliers. He frequently performs as a concert soloist, having sung Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Johannes-Passion and Matthäus-Passion, Handel’s Messiah, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. 

Harlan Hays

Baritone

A born and raised San Franciscian, Harlan Hays’ career has touched many corners of the city’s realm of classical music. He is an alum of the San Francisco Boys Chrus, starting as a younger chorister in 1999. Nearly 25 years later, Harlan is now Voice Director of SFBC and the Director of the Graduate Chorale. Likewise, he is an alum of The Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and currently teaches Voice, Art Song and Opera as an Artist in Residence at RASOTA. He was later educated at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying Voice with Cesar Ulloa. 

Mr. Hays has had a lifelong career with the San Francisco Opera. He is currently a member of the company’s Regular Chorus, though his time there began as early as 9 years old with the children’s chorus in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel. Some recent performances with SFO include Verdi’s La Traviata, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Britten’s Billy Budd. Harlan has also sung with the chorus at Opera San Jose and Berkeley Opera, and was a featured soloist in Verdi’s La Traviata and Moniuszko’s Halka with the SF’s Pocket Opera. He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus since 2016 as a volunteer, and now as an AGMA Baritone Chorister. Harlan most recently was a soloist for the Symphony Chorus’ 50th Anniversary Concert of Carmina Burana. 

When not singing in productions across the Bay Area, Harlan is likely swimming in the ocean at Baker Beach or exploring the Marin Headlands with his wife and dog. 

Cortez Montalbo

Trumpet 

Cortez Montalbo is a professional trumpet soloist and educator, recognized for his vibrant tone and masterful artistry. He is honored to perform as the trumpet soloist in this year’s production of Handel’s Messiah. Cortez discovered his passion for the trumpet at age 11 and has since cultivated a distinguished career in both performance and education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Trumpet Performance from San Jose State University and a Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Memphis. Currently, Cortez is pursuing a Doctorate in Trumpet Performance at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

As a performer, Cortez has served as principal trumpet with renowned ensembles, including the Bay Philharmonic, Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra, and Silicon Valley Philharmonic. His dynamic playing and technical precision have made him a sought-after collaborator in both solo and orchestral repertoire. In addition to his performance career, Cortez is a dedicated educator. From 2021 to 2024, he taught trumpet with Music for Minors in San Mateo, sharing his passion for music with young students and fostering their growth as musicians. Cortez is thrilled to bring his expertise and love for the trumpet to these performances of Der Messiah, sharing the timeless beauty of Handel’s music with audiences.