Irene Messoloras and Meridian Choir Earn Acclaim With Debut Album

Gramophone, Choir & Organ and BBC Radio 3 review "Finding Light"

Associate chair of the Department of Music Irene Messoloras, D.M.A, and director of choral activities at UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts, is drawing international acclaim for "Finding Light," the debut album from her London-based professional chamber choir, Meridian. Released on Signum Records, the album has been reviewed by some of classical music's most influential outlets, including Gramophone, Choir & Organ magazine and BBC Radio 3.

"As a conductor, I'm always thinking about the experiences I want to create for an audience," said Messoloras. "With ‘Finding Light,’ that meant bringing together music that is both artistically compelling and deeply human, an album that invites listeners to reflect and find their own meaning within the music."

Gramophone called Meridian's arrival "the launch of a serious ensemble," praising the group's "absolutely beautiful singing" and describing Messoloras' direction as "moving and breathing throughout” the program.

Centered on the theme of prayer, "Finding Light" moves fluidly across centuries and traditions, opening with John Sheppard's "Libera nos, salva nos" and closing with Morten Lauridsen's "Ubi Caritas." The program also includes contemporary works by Hanna Havrylets, Rihards Dubra and Karl Jenkins, among others. It is Meridian's third release with Signum, following the 2025 EP "Serenity" and 2025's "A Meridian Christmas."

Messoloras conducts the University Chamber Singers, the University Concert Choir and teaches conducting courses at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Read the full collection of reviews for "Finding Light" here. To learn more about Irene Messoloras, visit her Department of Music bio page here.