Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) has elected Arthur G. Swalley to chair its Board of Directors, and named the following as officers for the company’s 2026-27 season:
Robert Weinman, first vice-chair; Christine Holland, second vice-chair; Barbara Burger, secretary; and Torben Von Staden, treasurer.
“I look forward to working with Arthur as we enter this exciting new stage in our company’s history,” said Kostis Protopapas, OSB’s artistic and general director.
“His experience on stage, deep knowledge of the performing arts environment in Santa Barbara, and incisive mind guarantee that he will be a decisive leader for our board, a brilliant ambassador to our community and an exciting partner for me and Team OSB,” Protopapas said.
“I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Nikkaëlle Burlett for her vision and courage as board chair during four of our history’s most eventful and transformative years,” he said.
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.
At Yale University, he studied voice and composition, earning a BA degree in music. While at Yale, he performed across multiple disciplines, explored works from Bach through 20th-century composers, and performed in cappella singing group Shenanigans.
Swalley returned to Santa Barbara in 1990 to begin his career in the financial industry at Merrill Lynch, where he became vice president and senior portfolio manager.
In 2010, he became a founding partner and chief investment officer at Arlington Financial Advisors; and in 2025, he became a founding partner and CIO of Santa Barbara Trust Company.
He has served as president of the Board of the Santa Barbara Symphony and treasurer of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.
An active local singer, Swalley has performed with Canticle, Quire of Voyces, Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Choral Society, and Santa Barbara Master Chorale. He began performing with the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus in 2017 and joined the OSB Board of Directors in 2023.
“Performing with Opera Santa Barbara has been the pinnacle of my artistic career,” said Swalley. “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.”
For more about OSB, visit operasb.org.