Our Instructor

Mr. Sorber is the tenured Choral and Vocal Professor at College of the Sequoias (COS) in Visalia, CA, and was recently inducted into the El Diamante High School “Hall of Fame” for his contributions from 2002-2016. He has conducted choirs at all levels, from elementary to community and church choirs. Currently, he serves as Choral Leadership Academy Chairperson and has held leadership roles in the California Choral Directors Association (CCDA) and CMEA. Beyond teaching, he has worked as a musical theater director, choral adjudicator, clinician, honor choir manager, teacher mentor, tenor soloist, and private voice instructor.

As head of COS’s vocal and choral departments, he oversees vocal music majors, conducts the Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, and serves as vocal music director for COS musicals. The choirs perform concerts, community events, and choral festivals across California. The COS Chamber Singers were recently selected to perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Carnegie Hall. The vocal music program continues to grow, remaining a vital part of Visalia’s arts community.

Mr. Sorber is also the artistic director of the Visalia Community Chorus, which recently performed Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes and other major choral works. In spring 2023, he and VCC members will join the Fresno Community Chorus for a singing tour in Prague and Budapest. His honors include the California Music Educators Association 2019 State Choral Educator Award, the 2014 Crystal Apple Award for excellence in teaching, and multiple regional educator of the year awards. He has also conducted many honor choirs locally and beyond.

Mr. Sorber earned his M.A. in choral conducting from Fresno State University under Dr. Anna Hamre and a B.A. in vocal performance and music education from Fresno Pacific University with Dr. Roy Klassen. He lives in Visalia, CA, with his wife, Shawna, and their children, Abigail and Charles.