As founding Music Director, Lawrence Kohl has led the Pacific Chamber Symphony from its San Leandro inception to the premier regional organization it has become today. He was the Music Director of the Ohlone College Symphony Orchestra for fifteen years, Conductor for the KAMSA youth orchestra for three years, and he was a founding member of Walnut Creek's Sierra Chamber Ensemble. While doing his doctoral studies in Systematic Musicology at UCLA he was Samuel Krachmalnick's Teaching Associate and together they re-instituted and co-conducted the UCLA Contemporary Ensemble. Maestro Krachmalnick was the first Koussevitsky prize winner at Tanglewood, he conducted on Broadway and recorded Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide, and as famed conducting Jean Morel's assistant infused in Maestro Kohl a most important tradition of conducting. Maestro Kohl studied solfege for conductors with James Wimer and was coached by Arturo Toscanini's pupil Golfredo Corradetti. A consummate clarinetist, Kohl has performed and toured with the San Francisco Symphony. He was awarded a full fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival, was the first Chancellor's Fellow at UCLA and a National Art Association prizewinner. He also holds a Master's Degree in Philosophy from San Jose State University and has taught both music and philosophy at several Bay Area colleges.