Victoria Fiutowski was born and raised in Manhattan in New York City, and as a teenager was a member of the Collegiate Chorale, primarily a madrigal group. She sang in glee clubs in high school and college and has been a member of the Oratorio Society in Manhattan, the Richmond Symphony Chorus, and the Springfield Symphony Chorus in Springfield, Massachusetts (which, by the way possesses a hall similar to Stambaugh in both construction and acoustics). Wherever she lived, she joined the church choir, having sung in a Gregorian chant choir and even a Polish choir. She has studied voice under Adriana Harding at American University and Suzanne Peck (of the Waverly Consort).

Victoria holds a degree in art education and has taught in both private and public venues from Massachusetts to Florida. For seventeen years she had managed her husband's medical practice in the Washington, DC area before he joined the Ohio Heart Institute as an invasive cardiologist in Youngstown. Pressures of raising her family and work kept her from her passion for singing for over 10 years. She is thrilled to have been invited to sing with the chorus of the Opera, Carmen, and subsequently with the Stambaugh Chorus.

Mag Mitchell came from a musical family, since she sang around the piano with her mother, Mercia Miner. Mercia was a singer and church choir director, a former member of the Youngstown Symphony Chorus. Her mother, Ivy Akersten was an accompanist and musical director in New Zealand, and Mag’s Uncle Rex Sayers was in musical theater in New Zealand as well. Mag grew up in Steubenville, sang in the church choirs as an elementary school student, through high school, and sang in high school chorus, along with the musicals there. She majored in special education at Kent State University, but continued to sing at KSU in the Women’s Glee Club, Oratorio Guild, and A Capella Choir. She has been singing in the church choir at St. Michael Church in Canfield since 1977, and performed in musicals at the Youngstown Playhouse and Salem Community Theater.

  Mag taught special education in Columbus, Akron, and Youngstown, finishing her career in 2004. But, she still enjoys teaching and is a substitute teacher in both Canfield and Youngstown, even enjoying teaching music in both districts!

  The Youngstown Symphony Chorus  was an important part of her life since 1975, when she joined to “have a night out” after her daughter was born. She will always remember the first time she sang the “Amen” in the Messiah, wondering how all the experienced chorus members knew where they were! Since then, she hasn’t missed a beat! Mag has especially enjoyed singing on the stage at Powers Auditorium, with the wonderful orchestra and musical directors, as well as the recent concerts at Stambaugh Auditorium. Both places are such important historic Youngstown locations for wonderful musical events. In the 1980’s Mag enjoyed singing in the opera choruses at Powers, and recently sang in the Opera Western Reserve Opera chorus for two operas at Stambaugh Auditorium.

  One of the highlights of her life was singing in Italy and Europe with the St. Vitus Church choir from New Castle, PA. Mag was honored to sing the psalm at a mass where the choir sang at St. Peter’s in Rome! That choir sang in Italy, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Singing with friends is always a very special time, and brings people together from all backgrounds, languages, and life experiences. That experience colors our music and grows deeper and more vivid with each passing year. Youngstown Symphony Chorus is a very unique and dedicated group, which remains vital in the Youngstown, Ohio area.

Laurie Glasgow Taylor was born in Youngstown, Ohio, lived in Boardman as a child and later moved to Alliance where she graduated from Alliance High School. She attended Baldwin-Wallace College where she majored in communications. She was involved with the theater & worked on My Fair Lady, Othello, the Rainmaker and many other productions and participated in the Greek Sing for several years with Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority.

After graduation, she worked at Bristol Local Schools & Mahoning County School for the Retarded as a Home Economics teacher. She also became a Rehabilitation Teacher with Services for the Visually Impaired for the State of Ohio. She has been in many choirs, choruses and theater productions and was in My Fair Lady at the Youngstown Playhouse. More recently, Laurie was a volunteer with Angels for Animals and Second Chance Animal Rescue.

Her interests include sewing, crafts, needlepoint, playing cards, her cats & traveling with her husband, Dick. Laurie was asked to join YSC in 2005. She serves on the Stambaugh  Chorus Board of Directors as  fundraising chairperson.