Conductors and Coaches
Meet Our Faculty (more will be joining us soon!)
Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann
Music Director & Conductor, Southland Symphony Orchestra; Director Ontario Youth Symphony Program
Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann - composer, conductor, violist, educator, and performer, appears with many musical ensembles in the Southern California area and across the nation. Currently a faculty member at Chaffey College and the University of La Verne, Dr. Mann has also served at CSU Dominguez Hills, St. Teresa Open Catholic Seminary, and Centenary College of Louisiana. Dr. Mann is the Pastor & Minister of Music at Bethel Congregational Church, UCC of Ontario, CA. She is the Music Director & Conductor of the Southland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Temecula Valley Jr. Youth Symphony, La Verne Symphony Orchestra. and a popular guest conductor throughout Southern California. In addition, Sylvia is honored to be a featured guest conductor at Carnegie Hall (New York City) Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage for the 42nd season of MidAmerica Productions International NY. She will be conducting a special concert in Spring of 2025, featuring John Rutter’s Gloria and Te Deum.
During the COVID-19 crisis and quarantine, in partnership with MUSICO, Dr. Mann developed a robust online music learning and performance system for all of her orchestras. They produced virtual performances throughout the quarantine.
Having begun her musical studies at age 4, and professional activities at age 14, Sylvia completed undergraduate studies at Chapman, and graduate studies at the University of Southern California & London University. As a violist and violinist, she studied with many distinguished teachers, tracing the pedagogical line back to Ivan Galamian. As a composer, her mentors include William Kraft, Gunther Schuller, and Samuel Adler. Her conducting studies included such notable pedagogues as John Koshak, Hans Beer, Daniel Lewis, James Vail, Rodney Eichenberger, Gunther Schuller, and Neville Mariner.
Originally from Los Angeles, Dr. Mann resided in Louisiana from 1987 - 2002, where she served as the principal violist of the Shreveport Symphony, the Baroque Artists of Shreveport and violist of the Premier String Quartet, and was the Director of the Ark-La-Tex Youth Symphony Orchestra program. She also enjoyed performing with the popular all-woman rock band, “Lip Service” and was the recipient of the Shreveport LA Regional Arts Council’s prestigious Music Fellowship Award.
Sylvia’s music is heard on the concert stage, in film, television, and media outlets. Works have also been commissioned and performed by many orchestras, and she was featured in the Culver City Symphony’s historic concert, “The American Beat - Women Composers”. Dr. Mann and her orchestras have been recognized by the City of Ontario, the City of West Covina, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, and have received citations from the U.S. Congress. The Los Angeles County Fair recognized her as a “Community Hero” for her work in the arts, and she received “Woman of the Year in the Arts” awards from the California State Legislature and the US House of Representatives. She has also received multiple awards from CSU system for her scholarship, research and creative activities, as well as for her outstanding participation in the CSU Affordable Learning Solutions Initiative and contribution to student learning. She is an ACME Honoree of Mu Phi Epsilon.
More information about Dr. Mann, her performances, appearances and original compositions can be found at https://sylvialeemann.com
George Osorio
Wind Ensemble Specialist
George Osorio is the Founder, Music Director/Conductor of the Southland Wind Ensemble.
George was the Assistant Conductor with the Southland Symphony Orchestra for a decade before developing the Southland Wind Ensemble. A graduate from California State University, Dominguez Hills, George participated in the Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Singers, Jazz Band and the Chamber Brass Ensemble, where he observed different teaching and conducting styles that helped shape his own conducting style.
He studied Orchestral Conducting under the guidance of Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann, who helped him develop his understanding of orchestral conducting and musical analysis. He also studied Orchestral Conducting with Charles Dickerson III in his final year at CSUDH. During his time at CSU Dominguez Hills, he turned his focus from orchestral literature to wind literature and researched various topics in that field of study.
In addition to his work with the Southland Symphony Orchestra, George has served as an Assistant Conductor with the Irvine Young Concert Artists, where he founded a youth wind ensemble, which continues to this day, and as a Guest Conductor with the Peninsula Symphonic Winds in Rolling Hills, CA. He is also a frequent conductor for the Ontario Community Chaffey Show Band.
When he's not conducting, you can catch him playing the euphonium, trombone, or bassoon with different ensembles throughout SoCal, or reading a book.