TELARC INTL., 23307 Commerce Park Rd., is a BEACHWOOD-based recording company organized in 1977 by Jack L. Renner and Robert E. Woods. Renner and Woods, both classically trained musicians, established the company to capture the growing audiophile market. The pair have continually been recognized for their quality classical music recordings. Telarc's first recordings were with the CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA , but the company's roster soon expanded to included other orchestras, including the Atlanta Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops. In 1978, the company used digital recording equipment, then cutting-edge technology, making Telarc the first U.S. company to record digitally. Telarc was also among the first companies to market compact discs. The expansion of the market for digitally recorded classical music led to many major labels to rerelease many thousands of classical performances, which ultimately resulted in a glut of classical recordings. This ultimately forced Telarc to expand into JAZZ and popular music. Still, Telarc remained best known for its classical releases, which comprised approximately half of its business in 1995.
Throughout its history, Telarc relied heavily upon a technique of "minimal miking" and the company consistently avoids altering recordings, instead relying on capturing performances with an emphasis on realism. Widely known for its quality recordings, Telarc won 27 Grammy awards for its releases by 1995, and in 2003 the company received 11 nominations, the most it received in a single year. In 2004, Telarc International was still headquartered at 23307 Commerce Park Rd. and the company listed over 600 classical, jazz, and blues recordings in its catalog. Still run by Renner and Woods, Telarc employed over fifty people in Northeast Ohio.