Broadway to Balmoral: Encore Chorale Spring Concert features cellist Gregory Fiocca, tenor Ryan Michaels

MEDIA CONTACT
Donna Anderson, Public Relations Coordinator
330-655-1436 / 330-285-7516 cell
info@laurellake.org

From Broadway to Balmoral:  Encore Chorale Spring Concert on May 23 will feature cellist Gregory Fiocca and tenor Ryan Michaels

May 5, 2011 -- The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, fifty singers age 55 and older from Hudson and neighboring cities, will present its Spring Concerton Monday May 23 at 7 p.m. at Laurel Lake, 200 Laurel Lake Drive in Hudson.

Joining the Chorale will be guest artist Gregory Fiocca, Principal Cellist of Akron Baroque and  Mastersingers Inc. of Northern Ohio. His 25-year career includes an eclectic blend of performances ranging from orchestral, chamber music and solo to Broadway shows, jazz, and rock. He has served as Principal Cellist of the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, and Assistant Principal Cellist with the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony and Renaissance City Chamber Players of Detroit. Fiocca taught cello at Allegheny College and Western Reserve Academy, and now maintains a private studio in Kent. He holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where he was a student of Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins.

Also featured will be tenor Ryan Michaels, a Vocal Performance major at The University of Akron (and grandson of an Encore Chorale singer). This aspiring singer, songwriter, actor and dancer has played leading roles in high school and community theater productions of Les Miserables, Oklahoma, South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. He has won numerous awards including Akron Idol First Runner Up at First Night Akron 2010; Best Male Soloist, 2009 All Arts Show Choir Classic; and Best Male Vocalist, 2006 New York Show Choir Competition. Michaels has performed at the Akron Civic Theatre, House of Blues, Sheraton Hotel and many other venues, and was a 6-year member of ETC All American Show Choir.

This year’s concert will feature a salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway; the music of Ireland and Scotland, including “O Danny Boy,” a choral setting of Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” with cello and violin, and “Wi’ A Hundred Pipers” with snare drum and flute; and inspirational songs such as “The Mighty Power of God” by Mark Hayes, “Endless Song/How Can I Keep from Singing?,” and “You Raise Me Up” performed by Ryan Michaels. 

A highlight of the evening will be two cello solos by Gregory Fiocca: “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns, and Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Audience members are invited to join the performers for light refreshments following the concert, which is free and open to the public. For more information, call Donna Anderson at 330-655-1436 or email: info@laurellake.org.

The Laurel Lake Encore Chorale, under the direction of Donna Anderson, rehearses weekly and performs several concerts each year. The Chorale was the first national affiliate of Encore Creativity for Older Adults  www.encorecreativity.org , established in 2007 to provide an excellent artistic environment for adults 55 and over, regardless of experience or ability, who seek performance opportunities under a professional artist. Today, Encore choral and dance programs are offered in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Encore’s combined chorales (500 singers) have performed concerts at The Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, and the White House Conference on Aging. Each year, Encore conducts summer "sleepaway" choral camps for older adults at the famed Chautauqua Institution, New York, and at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Encore also hosts Singing at Sea cruises.

Laurel Lake Retirement Community is the smart choice for discerning adults who wish to continue leading active lives filled with a variety of interests, including work, volunteering, travel, fitness, cultural and lifelong learning pursuits. To learn more about this not-for-profit community offering multiple home styles within a scenic 150-acre campus in Hudson, call 1-866-650-2100 or visit www.laurellake.org .