Led by Artistic Director Jeff Buhrman, and Associate Music Director Thea Kano, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC has performed for over 30 concert seasons with a mission that is dynamic and socially-relevant. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington delights audiences and champions gay equality with robust artistry, fun and surprise.
The Chorus presents an annual season of five subscription concerts in Washington, DC, in addition to a fall cabaret fundraiser, an annual gala fundraiser, a monthly piano bar open mic in DC and performs numerous community outreach concerts for public and private events throughout the District and surrounding region.
The values of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington manifest in a commitment to musical excellence, using the power of song and the stories of LGBT lives to affect change. The Chorus shows a passion for providing a safe and affirming space for LGBT youth, their parents and their teachers through a youth outreach program that offers free tickets and on school time programs, GenOUT.
Founded in 1981, GMCW quickly became a staple of the Washington choral music scene and has since toured many of the major cities in North America and abroad.
On December 11, 2011, GMCW select ensemble Potomac Fever had the distinct honor of performing at the annual holiday dinner hosted by Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at the Naval Observatory. It was Potomac Fever’s third consecutive performance at the Biden’s invitation. On November 3, 2011, GMCW select ensemble Rock Creek Singers was honored to sing for hundreds of LGBT community and local civic leaders at the historic Carnegie Library in honor of longtime gay rights activist Dr. Frank Kameny. On June 29, 2011, GMCW select ensemble Potomac Fever performed for President Obama and guests in a celebration of LGBT Pride Month at the White House. On January 18, 2009, GMCW had the distinct honor of performing as part of the concert We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, for the 56th Presidential Inaugural. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Chorus sang “America” with Josh Groban and Heather Headley before President-elect Obama and millions around the world. In 1997, GMCW performed for President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration. During its 20th anniversary season, GMCW performed at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City. In December 2002, GMCW was honored to perform as part of the 25th annual Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. This performance was televised nationwide, bringing the Chorus into millions of homes across the nation. GMCW returned to the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2010 to honor Jerry Herman alongside Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury and Chita Rivera, among other Broadway luminaries. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington was honored to win the 2010 Washington Area Music Award for Best Choral Group.
GMCW performs five subscription concerts annually and appears at a number of community events, including programs for PFLAG, Whitman-Walker Health and Food & Friends. GMCW sponsors two select outreach vocal ensembles: Potomac Fever, a 13-voice close harmony group, and Rock Creek Singers, a 25-voice chamber ensemble. These ensembles serve as representatives of GMCW at many community functions. Since 2001, the Chorus has maintained a robust youth outreach program, GenOUT, that offers free tickets to groups of high school students, parents and teachers, in addition to offering on-school-time programs. GMCW is a proud member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses) and the Cultural Alliance of Washington. Information on upcoming GMCW events may be obtained by calling 202-293-1548 or by visiting the Chorus’s web page at www.GMCW.org.
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