• Rick Fortney Founder/Executive Director/Voice and Piano Instructor

    Founder and Executive Director of TrueNorth Cultural Arts, established in 1999. At TrueNorth, Mr. Fortney conducts the TrueNorth Chorale and Chamber Orchestra, serves as Musical Director for its theatre productions, and serves as TrueNorth’s Artistic Director in theatre, music, visual arts and dance.

    His professional singing resume includes performances with New York Choral Artists, Musica Sacra, Trevor Pinnock’s Classical Band Chorus, The New York Concert Singers, The Juilliard Singers, The National Chorale, The David Dussing Singers, and featured Soloist within the Calvary Baptist Chamber Concert Series. Theatrically he was Spirit McCoy in the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s in Beckley, West Virginia outdoor theatre; worked with American Entertainment, singing at Convention Shows, State Fairs and Cruise Ships for a number of years; and was in the opera chorus for three seasons with Director Peter Sellers. Rick is in The Canterbury Singers, USA with which he has sung several choral residencies at Cathedrals throughout England.

    Mr. Fortney received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts Degrees from Bowling Green State University. Rick has served as Director of Worship / Minister of Music at Bay Presbyterian Church, Director of Music at St. Barnabas Episcopal, Heritage Presbyterian, and currently St. Paul Lutheran in Amherst, Ohio. Rick and his wife Joan live in Avon Lake with their “Mighty Four!”, Luna & Ellie, and Sophie & Clyde!

  • Janine Porter Voice Instructor

    Lyric coloratura soprano, performed extensively with the former Cleveland Opera on Tour. Her roles included Madame Butterfly, Olympia, Rosina, Mabel, Josephine, Peter Rabbit, and City Mouse. Other leading roles include the Mother in Tri-C Western Campus’ production of "Amahl and the Night Visitors," the Countess in Stocker Center’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro,” and Rosina at Duke University’s production of “ The Barber of Seville,” and the title role in Little Red Riding Hood with TrueNorth. Her concert and oratorio work include the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah with the Cleveland Messiah Chorus, Haydn’s Creation, and Schubert's Mass in G with TrueNorth Cultural Arts, and Brahms Requiem, Rutter’s Magnificat, Bach’s Cantata No.140, Mozart’s Regina Coeli, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and Poulenc’s Gloria at Lorain County Community College. Janine also had the rare opportunity to perform Pierrot Lunaire with the Ars Futura Ensemble at Cleveland Institute of Music. Janine has a passion for helping students of all ages develop their best solo voice, no matter what style of music they are singing. Janine received her Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio Northern University, and a Master of Music degree in voice from the University of Akron where she studied with Dr.Mary Schiller. In addition to her singing and teaching, she loves spending time with her husband and two children.,