About the WB-IMF Chorus

A Community of Music and Connections

Founded in 1958, the WB-IMF Chorus is a volunteer ensemble of World Bank and IMF staff, families, and friends. What began as a small group of carolers has grown into a community of singers who share music across cultures through seasonal concerts, institutional events, and collaborations with musicians in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

History

Welcoming the World Bank (1960s)

After the IMF caroling ensemble was founded in 1958, World Bank and IFC staff were invited to join, and in 1961 the group officially became the Fund-Bank Chorus. Membership soon included not only Bank and Fund staff but also families, retirees, staff from other international organizations, and nearby community members.

The Chorus was led in its early years by distinguished musicians such as Jan Wunsch, organist at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and P.M. Jayarajan, an IMF Executive Director who also founded the Bank-Fund Orchestra. Together, these ensembles created a vibrant hub of music-making within the institutions.

Growth and Recognition (1970s–1990s)

Under directors such as Jean Tarnewiecki, the Chorus expanded to as many as 80 singers and broadened its repertoire. The 1980s brought further recognition, with collaborations that included guest conductor Michael Morgan and community concerts across Washington, D.C.

In 1989, IMF officer Charles Kelly—also a classically trained conductor—took leadership, guiding the Chorus with both professional musicianship and institutional commitment. A few years later, long-time alto Jenny Craley Bland became director, bringing her deep knowledge of the group as both singer and accompanist.

Into the New Millennium (2000s- present)

The Chorus continued to thrive under the leadership of Diana Sáez, founder of Coral Cantigas, who emphasized Latin American and Caribbean choral traditions. In 2012, acclaimed conductor and pianist Sonya Subbayya Sutton was appointed Music Director, a role she continues to hold today.

Our Story in Photos

1979

Chorus World Bank HQ Performance

1984–88

Chorus under the direction of Nevilla Ottley

2004

Former WB President

James Wolfensohn, guest cellist

2008

Award presentation to Jack Upper, the Chorus’s oldest serving member, by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,

Our Music and Performances

The Chorus has presented more than 100 programs, ranging from Mozart’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria to Broadway medleys, opera choruses, and folk songs from around the world. Semi-staged productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe and The Pirates of Penzance remain highlights in its history.

Performances have included World Bank memorials and anniversaries, IMF and World Bank Annual and Spring Meetings, and appearances at Washington landmarks such as the Kennedy Center Holiday Festival, St. John’s Church at Lafayette Square, and the U.S. State Department. The Chorus has also shared music with the broader community at Children’s Hospital, the Veterans Medical Center, the Inter-American Development Bank, Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Bethesda, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception at 8th and N Streets.

Artistic Leadership - Music Director

Sonya Subbayya Sutton has led the WB-IMF Chorus since 2013. She is currently the president of the Association of Anglican Musicians and has worked as an organist and choirmaster in Episcopal churches for nearly forty years, including two decades at St. Alban’s in Washington, D.C. In recent years, she has served in interim music ministry, consulting with music programs in transition across the country. A pianist, organist, and conductor, she has directed choirs on seven European tours and residencies in the U.K., France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and South Africa.

Sonya frequently collaborates with chamber musicians through the Carya Ensemble and has published two audiobooks exploring the intersection of music and storytelling. A graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, she holds degrees in piano performance and arts administration. She and her husband, the Right Reverend Eugene Sutton, live in Washington, D.C.