Judy Enns, President

Judy Enns’s professional career has been in Education and Human Resources. She established a successful HR consulting and staffing firm, HR Solutions, which conducted business nationally as a division of Eastridge Workforce Solutions. She has been influential in enhancing the role of HR in companies of all sizes, and in promoting HR careers.

Currently, Judy uses her professional skills to serve non-profit organizations as an active board member and on governance committees for Pathways to Citizenship, Plant with Purpose, Kingdom Builder Foundation, La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, and Ascending Leaders. She is currently Vice-Moderator for the San Diego Presbytery, sings with great joy in the SBPC choir, and co-leads a small group, a never-ending source of spiritual renewal and warm fellowship.

She holds a doctorate in Communication Theory and Research from The Ohio State University and has taught Communications at Illinois State University, California State University Los Angeles, College of the Virgin Islands, and Pasadena Nazarene College (now Point Loma Nazarene University). She was also director and ESL instructor at the Women’s English Language Center, King Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

She and her husband, Robert, enjoy hiking, theater, good movies, reading, national parks, and world-wide travel, especially to tropical climates and warm waters, wherever they can experience God’s beautiful creation.

Michael Kinnamon, Vice President

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, a prominent ecumenical leader and theological educator, was the ninth General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Now retired from full-time teaching, he was a seminary and university professor for thirty years, holding endowed chairs at Eden Theological Seminary and Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry, and serving for a decade as Dean of Lexington Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of numerous volumes in theological studies, and has lectured and preached on ecumenism and interfaith relations across the United States and overseas, especially South Asia (where he has twice been a visiting professor) and the Middle East. He holds ordained ministerial standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has been active—locally, regionally, and nationally—in the mission and ministry of that denomination.

In retirement, Dr. Kinnamon, whose PhD was in Religion and Literature (University of Chicago, 1980), has begun a second career––as a novelist. His published novels include Summer of Love and Evil (2021), The Nominee (2024), and A Rooftop in Jerusalem (2025). A new novel, Becoming Nathanael, is scheduled for publication in February of 2027. He is married to Mardine Davis, an art consultant, with whom he shares a love of classical music, and has two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Einar Gall, Immediate Past President

Einar Gall has lived in La Jolla since 1993, when he and his wife, Sally, moved to California from New York along with The Neurosciences Institute. He was the Institute’s research director and chief operating officer from its founding in 1981 through its closing in 2017. As an independent non-profit entity, the Institute carried out basic research on brain function in an environment that encouraged interdisciplinary cooperation. It also supported the local arts community by allowing many non-profit performing arts groups to use the Institute’s superb auditorium (now the Scripps Research Auditorium) without charge. Einar received his Ph.D. in Life Sciences from The Rockefeller University and continued on its faculty until moving to La Jolla. His own research was in cellular and developmental biology and theoretical neurobiology. He enjoys expedition travel to places with especially interesting natural history; photography; and music both old and new. He has sung with several vocal ensembles. Einar has been on the board of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library and previously served as its President.

Henry Torres Blanco, Secretary

Henry Torres Blanco is a dancer, choreographer, and dance technique researcher. Henry is the Founding Member of Lux Boreal Dance Troupe based in Tijuana, México, of which he is Artistic Director.  He is focused in a dance movement research based on potential and dynamic energy control; he also looks forward to processes of creation that incorporate resources that serve the scenic experience. Henry began his dance studies at Jose Limon Dance School in Sinaloa. He carried out bachelor’s degree at Mazatlán Dance School in Mexico.  Awarded with Culiacan Prize of Choreography, honorable mention as best male dancer in the Choreography Competition for Urban Spaces in Monterrey, Mexico. He received the National Endowment for the Arts of Mexico (FONCA) for his work as performing artist, and later on as a choreographer. He was awarded with the State Endowment for the Arts of Baja California as a choreographer. Listed in Dance Magazine 25 to watch 2009, he received in 2018 the Arts Angel Award. Since 2018 he is member of the Mexico System of Art Creators.

Linda Altes, Treasurer

Linda Altes has been a licensed psychologist in private practice since receiving her Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1985. Her work has focused on supporting children and families. She was the first psychologist to work at the Preuss School and to provide individual therapy to Preuss School students through the Lisa Hirschman Memorial Fund. She has also been active in community organizations, holding leadership positions in the International Dyslexia Association – San Diego; the San Diego Psychological Association; and Women Together, which supported homeless women and women who were victims of domestic violence. She has been honored as a Fellow of the San Diego Psychological Association. Linda Altes was introduced to the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus through her partner, Garrett Bowles, the former UCSD Music Librarian and enthusiastic devotee of music at UCSD.

Catherine Chyi, Orchestra Liaison

Catherine Chyi has been a violinist of the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra since 2016, shortly after she moved to San Diego. Catherine also plays with Villa Musica, City Ballet, and various musical gigs. She began piano lessons with her aunt at age 3 and then started to play violin through her public school music program at age 9. Prior to residing in San Diego, Catherine played with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Catherine loves the camaraderie and space to create music that is provided by the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra.

Catherine is an Administrative Law Judge with the State Hearings Division of the California Department of Social Services. She has spent the majority of her law career in public service and represented minors in dependency proceedings in Sacramento County and San Diego County prior to her current tenure as an Administrative Law Judge. Catherine attributes a large part of her academic and professional successes to her consistent participation in music and orchestras, which promote values like organization, creative thinking, cooperation, and community service.

Karen Erickson, Chorus Liaison

Karen Erickson joined the La Jolla Symphony Chorus in 1997 after searching for an organization committed to performing both contemporary and classical choral repertoire. Her musical journey began at age 5, when she started singing in her church choir and studying piano, pursuits she has continued throughout her life. She is profoundly grateful to be part of the La Jolla Symphony Chorus, whose artistic community has enriched her life in ways she could not have anticipated when she first became a member.

Karen serves as Vice President of Claims & Insurance at Sharp HealthCare, where she oversees matters related to healthcare risk mitigation and litigation management. Through both her professional work and her musical involvement, she has come to appreciate the remarkable outcomes that can be achieved through group participation. She is also a dedicated supporter of live performance in both San Diego and her hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. Karen holds a B.S.E. in Education, an M.S.E. in Special Education, and a J.D. from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sue Appelbaum

Sue Appelbaum holds a Bachelor of Science in Technical Writing and Editing from Carnegie-Mellon University. With over 35 years of experience in editing, copy-editing, and technical writing, she has worked extensively in academic settings, including serving as the editor of a Research Magazine at a university, where she also mentored graduate students on article development.

Following her retirement, Sue dedicated her time to volunteer work, primarily within Jewish communities. She has also contributed to the Board of the Friends of the Public Radio Station in Nashville, Tennessee, where she leveraged her experience in grassroots fundraising and leadership to support causes aligned with her values.

Sue has a deep appreciation for music across various genres and is an avid bridge player, reader, and baseball enthusiast.

Olivia Graeve

Prof. Graeve joined the University of California, San Diego, in 2012, and is currently  Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Director of the  CaliBaja Center for Resilient Materials and Systems, and Faculty Director of the IDEA  Engineering Student Center. Prof. Graeve holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and  Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor’s degree in  Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego. Her area of  research focuses on the design and processing of new materials for extreme  environments, including extremes of temperature, pressure, and radiation. 

Bryan Lowe

Bryan Lowe first started performing as a contrabassist with the La Jolla Symphony over 25 years ago, beginning during his days as a UCSD undergraduate and graduate student and later as a community member. He has performed with professional ensembles in North America and Europe.

Outside of music, Bryan is a business owner and advisor in finance and operations, including his partnership and former role as CFO/COO for an internationally known surf brand, where he was responsible for business, brand, and product development, as well as operations. A licensed professional fiduciary, Bryan focuses on serving clients in the areas of trust and estate administration and serves as power of attorney for financial and healthcare matters. He is a third-generation San Diegan with deep ties to the community and is an active supporter of its cultural vibrancy and growth.

Bill Miller

Bill Miller is a physician who has lived in Solana Beach since 1978. Prior to then, he received his primary and secondary education in rural upstate New York, his college education in rural western Massachusetts, and his medical education in New York City. He completed his postdoctoral medical residency training in internal medicine at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, and his fellowship training in the subspecialty of hematology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla. While he was a hematology fellow in April 1980, he helped perform the first bone marrow transplantation ever done in San Diego. That was also the same week that he married his wife, Ida Houby, who is a clinical psychologist. When they married, it was their mutual hope that they could make music together, since both he and Ida had enjoyed being in their high school and college choirs. Bill was so busy in the practice of hematology and blood and marrow transplantation after joining the staff of the Green Hospital in 1981 that he couldn’t find time to sing again until 2009, when he joined the La Jolla Symphony Chorus, after a singing “gap” of 38 years. But he has sung in almost every performance and accompanied the chorus on almost every tour over the last 17 years, and it has been a grand experience. In addition to the practice of his profession for 40 years, Bill was a member of the Board of Directors of the La Jolla Chamber Music Society from 1992 to 2000, and served as its Chairman from 1998 to 2000. He has been a member of a local philanthropic group, Solana Beach Community Connections, since its founding in 2001.

Otto Sorenson

Otto Sorensen is a retired attorney living in San Diego, California. For 45 years ending in December of 2021, he engaged in the private practice of law, specializing in corporate finance transactions, including venture capital financings, initial and secondary public offerings, limited partnership transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. He represented the borrower in one of the early cross-collateralized, cross-defaulted securitized debt deals done on Wall Street.

Otto was a founding member of the Golden Triangle Rotary, a founder and President of the San Diego Technology Financial Forum until its acquisition by UCSD Connect, and a two-term President of the San Diego Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. He also served as the Chair of the local chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and on the national board of the Commanderie.

Otto received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College in 1973 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota in 1976.

John Luther Adams

John Luther Adams is the recipient of the 2010 Nemmers Prize in Music Composition. The biennial award honors classical music composers of outstanding achievement who have had a significant impact on the field of composition. A NEA and Rockefeller Foundation grantee, Mr. Adams has been called “one of the most original thinkers of the new century” by The New Yorker.

Claire Chase

Flutist Claire Chase has been praised for her “extravagant technique, broad stylistic range and penetrating musicality” by the New York Times. She is active as a soloist, chamber musician, curator, and arts entrepreneur as founding director of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). Ms. Chase has given the world premieres of more than 100 new works for flute, and she has been featured on critically acclaimed releases from the Naxos, Tzadik, Bridge labels.

Philip Glass

Philip Glass is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Through his operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble, and Oscar-nominated movie scores, he has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of our times. His wide-ranging collaborations with artists include Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen to David Bowie.

David Lang

David Lang is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who embodies the restless spirit of invention. Deeply versed in the classical tradition he is also committed to music that resists categorization, constantly creating new forms. The music of David Lang is used as a musical accompaniment in many online casinos in Switzerland. On the Resuko website you can find a great list of the best of them, which will make you the right choice. And the music of David Lang is an excellent musical background for this pastime. In the words of The New Yorker: “Lang, once a post-minimalist enfant terrible, has solidified his standing as an American master.”

Wu Man

Wu man is an internationally renowned pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso, cited by the Los Angeles Times as “the artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western World.” Born in Hangzhou, China, Ms. Wu performs regularly with Yo-Yo Ma as part of his Silk Road Project. Her touring has taken her to the major music halls of the world including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Bernard Rands

Bernard Rands is established as a major figure in contemporary music through his more than 100 published works and many recordings. His work Canti del Sole, premièred by Paul Sperry, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic, won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize in Music. His large orchestral suites Le Tambourin won the 1986 Kennedy Center Friedheim Award. His work, Canti d’Amor, recorded by Chanticleer, won a Grammy Award in 2000.

David Chase, Choral Director Emeritus

David Chase served as Choral Director of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus chorus ensemble from 1973 until his retirement in 2017. Under his leadership the 130-voice ensemble performed a mixture of musical styles that combine standard repertory with new or rarely performed works on the LJS&C subscription series and at community venues. Dr. Chase is a graduate of Ohio State University and received his doctorate at the University of Michigan. While living in Ann Arbor, he served as conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphonic Choir. In 2009, he retired from Palomar College in San Marcos, California, where he had taught music since 1974. In addition to his academic and choral duties, Dr. Chase has performed and recorded with the Robert Shaw Festival Chamber Chorus in Souillac, France, and at Carnegie Hall. He also was a fellow in the Melodious Accord Fellowship with Alice Parker in New York City. His compositions are published by Shawnee Press and Concordia Music Publishers. Dr. Chase and members of the chorus have made four European tours, a tour of Mexico, and, in 2001, were the first Western chorus invited to perform in the Kingdom of Bhutan. In spring 2012, the chorus traveled to Carnegie Hall to perform Britten’s Spring Symphony.

Steven Schick, Music Director Emeritus

Molli & Arthur Wagner Music Director, Conductor
2007 – 2022

“I think the role of an arts organization in a community is to both reflect and lead. In the San Diego music community, there is a real niche for La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, a place for our point of view. For one, the idea of contemporary music and the linkage between it and traditional orchestral music is not widely addressed outside of this organization. The connections between contemporary and classical, and the fact that we perform in the community we live in and are willing to take a stand to guide rather than follow, that’s our niche.”

Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick was born in Iowa and raised in a farming family. For forty years he has championed contemporary music by commissioning or premiering more than 150 new works. He was the founding percussionist of the Bang on a Can All-Stars (1992-2002) and served as Artistic Director of the Centre International de Percussion de Genève (2000-2005). Schick is founder and Artistic Director of the percussion group, “red fish blue fish.” Currently he is Music Director of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus and Artistic Director of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. He will also serve as music director of the 2015 Ojai Music Festival in June. In 2012 he became the first Artist-in-Residence with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).

Schick founded and is currently Artistic Director of “Roots and Rhizomes,” a summer course on contemporary percussion music held at the Banff Centre for the Arts. He maintains a lively schedule of guest conducting including appearances in this season with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Nova Chamber Ensemble and the Asko/Schönberg Ensemble. Among his acclaimed publications are a book, “The Percussionist’s Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams,” and numerous recordings of contemporary percussion music including a 3 CD set of the complete percussion music of Iannis Xenakis (Mode). Mode released a companion recording on DVD of the early percussion music of Karlheinz Stockhausen in September of 2014.

In 2014, Schick received two notable honors: he was named Champion of New Music by the American Composers Forum and he was inducted into the Percussion Hall of Fame. Steven Schick is Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of California, San Diego. In June 2015 he served as the Music Director of the 69th annual Ojai Music Festival in Ojai, California.