A resident and native of Oakland, California, Alexander Taite holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Pepperdine University in music theory and composition with a main emphasis in vocal performance and a minor emphasis in jazz piano.
Alexander has robust interests and musical skills, including Opera, Choral, Spiritual, Barbershop, Jazz, Blues, Renaissance/Baroque, Vocal Percussion and Hip-hop. He has also studied classical and jazz piano since the age of 8, and has played in bands of varied styles including jazz, funk, R&B, rock, hip-hop and pop.
In addition to singing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus every season for 17 years, he has sung roles with The Berkeley Opera Company, San Francisco Parlor Opera, Opera Parallèle, Livermore Valley Opera, Island City Opera, Philharmonia Healdsburg, Pocket Opera, Walnut Creek Festival Opera, West Edge Opera and The Berkeley Chamber Opera.
In 2015, Alexander was honored to direct, cast, and conduct a project with renowned baritone Lester Lynch. The gospel and spiritual album was recorded at the prestigious Skywalker Sound studio, and included a 16-person adult choir and 10-person children’s choir, which he assembled himself. Similarly, Mr. Taite served as music director for Pocket Opera’s animated production of The Magic Flute. He guided two separate youth orchestras and 9 soloists through a 2 year-long recording process in three separate recording studios scattered around the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The resulting music heard in the animated educational film is available to educational organizations worldwide. Other special appearances include studying opera in Germany with accomplished tenor Dr. Henry Price III.
Alexander also spent 4 years as a member of the Vocal Faculty at Oakland School for the Arts, teaching music theory and classical performance. He led master classes, directed several choirs, and helped to develop two curricula for the high school: a senior recital program and a music theory placement exam for vocal and instrumental students. Soon thereafter, he spent 7 years directing the graduate level chorale at the San Francisco Boys Chorus.
He was a finalist in the James Toland Vocal Arts competition in both 2014 and 2016, and was a finalist in the East Bay Opera League vocal scholarship program. He was also selected as a piano finalist in the Young Performers Concert series in San Francisco.
Mr. Taite is thrilled and honored to fill the role of Director for Chorus Eclectic. Currently, he is a vocal and choral coach with the Nova youth choir at Cantare Con Vivo, and Music Director for the Piccola Carolers. He finds great joy teaching private voice and piano lessons. He is also accepting bookings of his one-man show – Deep River: The Flow Of Negro Spirituals Through Time – where he plays and sings his own arrangements of Negro Spirituals. This lecture cabaret explores the evolution and influence of the Negro Spiritual in American culture and society, told through story and song.