Volti's professional vocalists, under the direction of founder and Artistic Director Robert Geary, are dedicated to the discovery, creation, and performance of new vocal music. The ensemble's mission is to encourage, foster and showcase contemporary American music and composers, and to introduce contemporary vocal music from around the world to local audiences.

In the fall of 1979, Robert Geary established The San Francisco Chamber Singers, opening that first season with an all-Bach program. Quickly favoring the music of Benjamin Britten, the choir soon began to sharpen its focus on today's music, and by the 1990s was focusing almost exclusively on premieres and commissions by living composers from the U.S. and abroad.