David Lozano Torres, Artistic Director and Conductor

Our Conductor & Rehearsal Accompanist

David Lozano Torres, Artistic Director and Conductor.  The Santa Barbara Master Chorale is embarking on an exciting new era under its new Artistic Director, David Torres. A native Southern Californian, Torres earned a BA in Music with a conducting emphasis from Brigham Young University, Idaho. While pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Azusa Pacific University, he served as an assistant conductor for the APU Choral Scholars graduate choir and the University Choir, Symphonic Band, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Committed to bringing choral music to the community, Torres was Artistic Director and Conductor of the Los Angeles-based Echo Lumino and Associate Conductor of Angeles Chorale.

While completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree in Choral Conducting at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Torres served as conductor for UCSB’s Lumina Choir and assistant conductor for the Chamber Choir. He has been appointed to lead the Education and Conducting divisions of the Student Academy of Musical Leaders (SAML), an organization dedicated to the advancement of the marching and music performing arts.

In 2016, Torres founded and continues as Artistic Director and Conductor of the elite choral ensemble Vocal Affinity, whose distinctive blend of contemporary compositions with Gregorian chant and Renaissance music was featured at the Western ACDA Regional Conference in 2022. In the fall of 2023, he also established the Vocal Scholars program, a training opportunity for singers interested in choral chamber ensemble singing.  

Since he assumed the helm of the Santa Barbara Master Chorale in fall 2022, Torres has led the ensemble in several stirring performances, including The Creation by Haydn, the Fauré Requiem, and John Rutter’s Requiem and Gloria, as well as works by such contemporary composers as Dan Forrest, Elaine Hagenberg, Jacob Navarud, and Eriks Esenvalds.

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Heather Levin-White, Collaborative Pianist

Heather Levin-White is a collaborative pianist, based in Santa Barbara, California. Ms. Levin earned her Master of Arts degree at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).  While a student there, she also worked as an accompanist for voice lessons and singing classes, studied voice with Marjorie McKay, and played in the jazz band.  During her junior year of undergraduate study, she participated in the Education Abroad Program furthering her studies in French and Music at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, France.

Upon completing her M.A. at UCSB, she became a member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California and has since become extremely active in Santa Barbara and its vicinity as both a solo pianist and teacher in the areas of vocal accompaniment, choral accompaniment, chamber ensemble performance, music programs at church and religious organizations, school and community music theatre productions, and opera.