George Fiore, in the chorale's words

The secrets of George Fiore's success (as explained by Seattle Symphony Chorale members):

George never just tells singers what to do; he gives them the "why" behind it. He turns his singers into students of the work. So by the time you go on stage, you feel a responsibility not just to perform the work correctly, but to convey what the composer intended.

— John Atcheson

He is a stickler for the languages regarding pronunciation, pure vowels and sharing translations with us whether or not we as individuals have studied those languages.

— Anne Foster Angelou

It was at George's request that we performed the "Missa Solemnis" this year. He was determined that we would do it better than the recordings and past performances he had heard. ... Not only did the [soprano] section rise to this challenge under his leadership, the high notes no longer produce the kind of concerns they have among my sopranos in the past. They know that if they could do Missa, anything else is a piece of cake!

— Barbara Scheel

George is big on intonation and has an amazing ear. He will insist on ensemble listening and individual section listening. There would be times when I was quite certain that I was in tune, but he was not satisfied with the sound he was hearing from the section ... I came to enjoy the way he teaches a group about music or a composer or a place or history in the context of rehearsal. He would stop and tell us a story or share some little known trivia. Most of us hung on every word.

— Bernie Lenoue

He often tells us, "You know I love you all."

— Anne Foster Angelou

Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times music critic