A New Artistic Director in Town for the Santa Barbara Master Chorale

Dr. William Cutter is just over a month into his new job as Artistic Director for the Santa Barbara Master Chorale. The Philadelphia-native and longtime Bostonian is adjusting well to his position, and the California climate.

The conductor, educator, singer, composer, and pianist arrives with decades of decorated titles under his belt, and is excited to bring musical excellence to one of the Central Coast’s premier choral organizations.

Cutter approaches Santa Barbara with an attitude of excitement, and a strong artistic vision. “It’s a new challenge, and that’s always exciting,” said Cutter. The last time he led a community chorus was about 20 years ago. In the meantime, he has been teaching. “To return to this kind of a position, it’s a reminder of what I love about it so much, and that is, it’s about community.”

He got his start in music young, beginning as a singer in a boy choir in church, as well as piano lessons, which he was less fond of. But his love of music endured. After receiving an undergraduate degree in music education, his calling for teaching music was solidified.

As for his approach to conducting, Cutter described his ongoing commitment to being as authentic as possible. “I just love music so much, and I hope that that comes through the way I run a rehearsal, and the way that I actually move my arms and use my face,” said Cutter. He thinks that genuineness is the cornerstone of a good teacher.

A typical day for Cutter ranges from choosing the music for performance, facilitating rehearsals, and attending board meetings.

He has been enchanted by the vibrancy of Santa Barbara’s existing arts community, which has welcomed him with open arms. He hopes to return the favor, and has already been making arrangements for collaborations with other prominent arts organizations in town.

The first show he is conducting is collaborating with dancers from the Dance Hub. The Chorale is also arranging for high school singers to perform solos in an upcoming concert. Further down the line, Cutter expressed his keenness to collaborate with the Opera Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Symphony, and the State Street Ballet.

“Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration,” Cutter emphasized. “That’s the main thing. I think we have to work together if we want our art forms to survive.”

Moving from the larger city of Boston, Cutter was impressed that Santa Barbara had a major symphony, ballet, and so on. He believes it speaks to the vitality of the existing arts community.

Through and through, Cutter is excited to promote his profound appreciation for music. “It appeals to your heart, your mind, and your soul,” Cutter said. “The feeling you get from hearing music of Bach or Ravel or Mozart or Brahms, there’s nothing like it.” He also hopes to expose audiences to some new types of music, inviting them to eschew their potential preexisting notions about classical music.

Cutter succeeds Dr. David Lozano Torres, whose final concerts as Artistic Director took place June 13-14, 2026. Those performances will celebrate his significant contributions to the Chorale and mark the beginning of an exciting new era for the organization.

The first concert approaching is a performance solely focusing on the music of Henry Purcell. It takes place on October 24 at 3 p.m. at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (909 N. La Cumbre Rd.). The second will be A Classic Christmas.” The third, for which a date is not yet set, is a concert featuring all American composers as a celebration for the 250th anniversary of the country. For tickets and additional information, see sbmasterchorale.org.