Western Reserve Chorale celebrates 20th anniversary season

The Western Reserve Chorale (WRC) will kick off its 20th anniversary season with a performance of John Rutter’s "Gloria" with brass and organ, as well as seasonal selections by Handel, Lauridson, Whitacre and others on Sunday, Dec. 11, at Grace Lutheran Church, 1301 Cedar Road. 

The chorale was formed in 1992 by a handful of people, including the current executive director and accompanist Joanne Poderis and conductor John Roberts, to present quality programs of classical choral repertoire free-to-the-public. WRC has grown from a group of 40 to the current 70 singers.

WRC will feature three guest conductors this season. Mario M. Clopton is the director for the 20th annual holiday concert in December. A young conductor from Solon, Ohio, Clopton holds a bachelor of music degree with honors from Capitol University and is in the midst of completing a masters degree in choral conducting at California State University, Los Angeles. Clopton is a vocal music teacher in the CH-UH schools, where he directs four choirs. As an active baritone performer, Clopton has performed lead roles in productions of "Cosi fan Tutte," "The Magic Flute," "The Mikado" and "Iolanthe."

WRC’s second concert, to be held at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Cleveland in March, will be conducted by Michael Seredick, a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus since 1974 and its assistant director from 1984-90.

The 20th Anniversary Celebratory concert on June 3, will honor founding director John Roberts, charter board members and present members who sang in the first concert in December of 1992. It will be conducted by David Gilson.

For more information, visit www.westernreservechorale.org or call 216-791-0061.