Stephen Arel is a native Californian who received his Bachelor of Music from Pepperdine University.

He also studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has sung professionally with most major choruses of Southern California, and is the tenor soloist at St. Nicholas Church in Encino. He has been a member of the LA Opera Chorus since 1993, starting with La Bohème, and has appeared in over 115 productions.