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About elias wolf / Lisa Forkish

elias wolf (formerly Lisa Forkish – they/them) is a queer singer and caster of musical spells; a skilled teacher of embodied voice; a spirited weaver of beloved community; and a dynamic facilitator of liberatory and life-affirming singing spaces. Raised on unceded Kalapuya land (Eugene, OR) with close proximity to majestic Douglas firs and a baby grand piano, music has always been their life force.

For the past two decades, elias has been using song as both an expressive art and a tool for cultivating connection, always exploring relationality through music; their ultimate aim in life is to uplift music for personal and collective healing and liberation.

For elias, teaching and facilitating music spaces is much more than a job: it is a sacred calling. Whether it be at a festival with hundreds of participants, diving deep with 12 singers, or finding tenderness in a 1:1 session, elias shows up with warmth, grace and humor. elias has been at the musical helm of 12 different vocal groups over the past 20 years, and is a sought-after ensemble coach and clinician. ​​elias is also an award-winning vocal arranger,  and their arranging and music directing work has been showcased alongside Kehlani, Ben Harper, Pentatonix and the Oakland Symphony Chorus. elias’ stint as director of University of Oregon’s a cappella group Divisi from ‘03-’06 was the inspiration for the film “Pitch Perfect” and from 12-’19 they ran a 501(c)(3) arts advocacy organization devoted to uplifting marginalized voices in the vocal music scene and producing an annual festival at Berkeley’s iconic venue and education center, Freight & Salvage.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, elias first combined music and social justice while an undergraduate student, chairing Musicians Against Sexual Violence and leading the community in their first ever “Take Back the Night” rally. With 25 years performing under their belt both as a solo artist and as a vocal collaborator/member of an ensemble, elias has taken the stage at SF Jazz Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Yoshi’s, and loves nothing more than knocking down the perceived walls between performer and audience.

From ‘11-’20, elias served as Vocal Music Faculty at Oakland School for the Arts where they founded and directed five-time national champion high school a cappella group, Vocal Rush. Known for their unique arrangements, uplifting performances and commitment to music for social change, Vocal Rush took third place on NBCʻs reality competition show “The Sing-Off” and was named one of the “YBCA 100” alongside artists and activists Janelle Monae, Rafael Casal and #metoo movement founder, Tarana Burke.  elias is the recipient of the Mason McDuffie Education Foundation Award for “Outstanding Educator,” Portland’s “Songwriter of the Year” award, and was one of the 2024 recipients of Lane Arts Council’s project grants, funding a queer youth a cappella program in Lane County called RISE. 

elias is currently a settler on unceded Kalapuya land where they live with their sweet chihuahua mix rescue Wally and their Yamaha upright piano.

Elias Wolf CV

“elias has visions. What makes them so special is that they activate and actualize their profound musical, cultural, community visions. elias is a singer of depth and character, leading the way into the future with their own songs and the music of their exceptional groups.“

– Rhiannon, Vocalist / Teacher (Bobby McFerrin)

“elias renewed my faith in my own voice and in the power of music. If singing was a world religion and song its prayer, elias would be one of the high clerics, bringing peace, healing and communion through voice to all the world.”

– Rory Pattison, Singer-Songwriter

“eliass light and joy, but most importantly she is a true game changer!”

– Suzzette Ortiz, Composer / Teacher

“elias has a very unique way with people of all ages, they’re able to inspire and grasp these different parts of people that allow them to express and develop their creativity in the most vulnerable ways. elias’ method is both nurturing and skillful, they are a master teacher, a weaver of healing song.”

– Valerie Troutt, Vocalist / Artivist / Teacher

“I have known elias to be honestly seeking and searching for Truth in themself and the world. elias has shown no judgement toward the young people they have led, but led my daughter and her peers with strong humility and because of that, they were eager to follow. My daughter’s life was forever changed and enriched because of elias’ leadership.”

 – Shea Gilbert, Musician / Teacher

“After just a few encounters with elias, I spontaneously and with great affection started calling them, The Magic Maker. Because that is precisely who they are and exactly what they do time and time again. elias is masterful at building community, spreading love and bringing joy through the powerful medium of music. elias is one extraordinary human.”

– Loren Madden, Vocalist

“elias leads with heart and courage. They are a risk taker as an educator and are constantly pushing the boundaries for themself and their students. elias is a brilliant arranger with the power to manipulate notes on the page into the most soul-stirring pieces. elias cultivates leaders through their mentorship.”

– Cava Menzies, Musician / Visual Artist / Educator

“elias is a mad scientist, beautiful human being, and an amazing teacher.”

– Ben Spalding, Choral & A Cappella Director

“I knew when I met elias that the world would be different for so many, including me, because of their commitment to change through the sharing of song. I am deeply honored to have been with elias on their journey.”

– Donna McElroy, Singer / Voice Professor (Berklee College of Music)

“elias is a force to be reckoned with as an artist and educator – they teach by celebrating the music and the voice in each of us. elias makes their teaching and coaching look easy and that’s when you know it isn’t. elias loves, supports and gives space to their students. All are welcome and then all are transformed; no ego, just commitment to the music and its power.”

– Branice McKenzie, Vocalist / Teaching Artist

PRESS

FloVoice (2018)

FloVoice (2018)

“Continuing the conversation on gender in a cappella, we reached out to Lisa Forkish, the founder of the Women’s A Cappella Association.”

–  FloVoice, 2018

I believe in the alchemical power of song. 

I believe all living beings have a soul, and inside of the soul, there is music; thus, there is music in all things. 

I believe singing can tune us into the frequency of love and the interconnectedness within this vast universe. 

I believe that reclaiming our creative voice can liberate us in profound ways, inviting us into truth, again and again. 

I believe in a world where all beings have what they need, where harmony-singing is abundant and relationships are at the center.

I aim to disrupt delusions of supremacy and false notions of scarcity, binaries and separateness. 

I aim to stay in my body, present with and curious about what is in me and before me. 

Through listening, learning, adapting, healing, expanding, balancing, trusting, intuiting, dreaming and creating, I aim to live in right-relationship with myself, my community, and the earth. 

I aim to both be and become. 

I aim to be in service to the music — the song in each of us and the creative spirit that dances before us. 

I know that both singing and community are our birthright, and are powerful medicine for the wounds of supremacy, oppression, and disconnection. 

I know that through song and connection, we are co-creating a just, loving world.