Brian Keith Johnson has performed many roles in opera from Figaro in il barbiere di Siviglia to Ford in Falstaff.  As a member of Actors’ Equity Association, he has also performed a variety of musical theatre roles ranging from Jim in Big River to Father/God in Children of Eden.  His concert repertoire includes most of the major baritone works such as Carmina Burana, Elijah, The Verdi Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, The Brahms Requiem and The Faure’ Requiem.   He has performed operatic and musical theatre roles across the United States including performances with The Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Blossom Festival Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Opera Western Reserve, Carolina Master Chorale, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Porthouse Theatre.  Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor’s Degree from The University of Akron and has also studied abroad at The New Opera Academy of Rome in Rome, Italy and The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. 

Kira Seaton, Assistant Professor of Music at the Western Campus, teaches courses in Voice, Choral Music, Music Theory, and Musicology.  After receiving her Master’s of Music in Performance in 1985 from O.U., Ms. Seaton moved to Cleveland and joined the music faculty of the Cleveland Music School Settlement and helped to found The Magnolia Ensemble, the Settlement Artist-in Residence Chamber Ensemble.   She is the former Director of Music at First Congregational United Church of Christ of Berea, and currently serves as a musician for the contemporary worship services at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Berea. An active classical and musical theatre soloist throughout the Mid-West, Ms. Seaton has performed, musical directed, or directed at a majority of the theatres in the area, and has sung with both Cleveland Opera and the Cleveland Orchestra.   Since joining the CCC faculty in 1987, she has directed, musical directed, or performed over forty CCC-Western Campus Theatre productions, including the highly successful Holiday Christmas Projects, performing Children’s Operas for over 12,000 school children over the past decade.  Professor Seaton has directed or participated in touring choirs performing in a number of the nation’s premiere performance halls, including The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Carnegie Hall in New York City, and our own Severance Hall.   Ms. Seaton conducted the Tri-C Chorale on tour in Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy in 2004, and Montreal in 2009.  She is the founding co-director of the CCC-West Summer Performing Arts Program, and is an adjudicator and coach for several regional music and theatre associations.