Marcus Norris

Dr. Marcus Norris’s childhood foray into music came through producing rap beats on pirated software, installed on a Windows 98 computer that he Macgyvered together from spare parts. He came to composing concert music later and transferred that same imagination to writing music of all kinds. This cross-genre mastery resulted in Beyoncé asking Marcus to orchestrate several songs for her and 50-piece orchestra as part of her surprise 2023 Dubai return to live performance. Miss Tina Knowles-Lawson chose Marcus as Music Director for the 2022 Wearable Art Gala, with South Side Symphony accompanying Chloe & Halle Bailey and Andra Day. Marcus founded South Side Symphony in 2020, which he describes as “like a younger, more ratchet version of The Roots, plus lush live strings & horns.” In the short time since, with Marcus composing and conducting, they’ve performed for thousands of people at iconic LA venues such as the Music Center and the Staples Center, as well as recorded for major albums, films, and TV shows. Marcus recently wrote original songs and composed the score for the feature film “Once Again (for the Very First Time)” written and directed by Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans, Now You See Me).

For more information on Marcus and his music, visit www.MarcusNorris.com and www.SouthSideSymphony.org

Adamma Ebo

Adamma Ebo wrote and directed the feature film Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown, which sold to Focus Features and Monkeypaw at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and had a wide theatrical release. In 2022, she also entered into an TV overall deal with 20th Television Studios with Adanne Ebo, her twin sister and writing partner. With her sister, their TV writing credits include the Amazon series Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Batman: Caped Crusader. They’ve also set up their original pilot spec Supply, 404 with Gloria Sanchez Productions, and MRC. Adamma has also directed an episode of FX’s Atlanta Season four and three episodes (including the finale) of Amazon’s & Donlad Glover’s Swarm. Adamma is a Spelman College and UCLA Film School graduate, and is a lover of all things video games, fashion, anime, naps, and daydreaming about the perfect Keyblade design.

Chaowen Ting

A fearless leader on the podium, conductor Chaowen Ting has been praised for her “remarkable and stylish” musical direction, “brilliant” interpretations, and her ability to pull “beautiful sounds” with “many nuances” from the ensemble.

With a deep desire to connect people through music, Ting is recognized for her empathetic leadership, strong connection with audiences, and advocacy for equity within the music industry. The Atlanta-based Taiwan native seeks to democratize classical music by creating opportunities for diverse voices while building a meaningful community through innovative programming and collaborations.

Tinashe Kajese-Bolden

Tinashe Kajese-Bolden is an award-winning Director, Actor, and Producer. She is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Directing. Recent directing credits include Toni Stone (co-production between Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Alliance Theatre), The Many Wondrous Realities of Jasmine Starr-Kidd and Nick’s Flamingo Grill (World Premieres at the Alliance Theatre), School Girls, Or the African Mean Girls Play (Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre), Ghost (Alliance Theatre), Native Gardens (Virginia Stage Company), Pipeline (Horizon Theater), and Eclipsed (Synchronicity Theatre, Best Director Suzi Bass Award). She has also worked as a director and actor regionally and on and off Broadway. As the BOLD Associate Artistic Director at Alliance Theatre, Kajese-Bolden stewarded the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab, cultivating new works for Atlanta-based artists, and oversaw the Spelman Leadership Fellowship, the first mentorship program of its kind partnering a regional theatre with an historically Black college and university to offer paid career opportunities for students interested in arts leadership positions.