Opera Santa Barbara has announced the election of Arthur G. Swalley as its Board Chair.

Born in Rhodes, Greece, and raised in Santa Barbara, Swalley studied piano and cello in his youth before beginning vocal training under Phyllis Zimmerman at Santa Barbara High School. He went on to study voice and composition at Yale University, earning a bachelor’s degree in music. Swalley then returned to Santa Barbara in 1990 to begin a career in the financial industry at Merrill Lynch, where he became Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager. He later became a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer at Arlington Financial Advisors in 2010, and a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of Santa Barbara Trust Company in 2025. He has also served as President of the Board of the Santa Barbara Symphony and as Treasurer of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

Moreover, Swalley is an active local singer who has performed with Canticle, Quire of Voyces, the Santa Barbara Symphony, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, and the Santa Barbara Master Chorale. He began performing with the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus in 2017 and joined the company’s Board of Directors in 2023.

“Performing with Opera Santa Barbara has been the pinnacle of my artistic career,” Swalley said, per an official press release. “OSB’s consistent excellence is reflected in Santa Barbara’s distinction as one of the smallest cities in the country with its own professional opera company. I am honored to have earned the confidence of this exceptional group of artists, board members, and donors, and I look forward to leading the next exciting chapter in OSB’s story.”

The company’s officers for the 2026-27 season also include Robert Weinman as First Vice Chair, Christine Holland as Second Vice Chair, Barbara Burger as Secretary, and Torben Von Staden as Treasurer.

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