Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus

Mission

The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) entertains audiences, supports communities, and fosters acceptance through exceptional musical performance.

Vision

A community that celebrates differences and a chorus that inspires change.

Values

• We value consistent engagement with the LGBT and broader communities.
• We value our leadership in the Philadelphia artistic community, with entertaining and artistic productions covering a variety of musical genres.
• We value accepting all people and ensuring that all people feel accepted.
• We value conducting ourselves with professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

Overview

Since its formation in 1981, the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) has performed for more than 100,000 audience members. PGMC gave its first formal concert in April 1982, and presently produces three professional quality concert series annually, with a typical concert series reaching 1,300 attendees. The Chorus performs by invitation as Philadelphia’s gay cultural ambassadors, celebrating at events such as the LGBT flag raising at City Hall, the dedication of Dilworth Park, and LGBT night at the Phillies.

The Chorus also shares its message of inspiration and acceptance with students through regular performances at Philadelphia-area schools, as part of its youth outreach program. The Chorus’s select ensemble, Brotherly Love, maintains its own schedule of regular performances in the community. The Chorus also sings at weddings, funerals, and other civic events upon request.

PGMC’s repertoire includes a broad range of styles and eras, including pop music, spirituals, sacred music, love ballads, comic pieces, Broadway and Hollywood tunes, opera, folk songs, and the latest gay empowerment music. In addition to choral song, PGMC performances regularly include instrumental music, dance, lighting and audio-visual accents, and stylized choreography. The Chorus has commissioned multiple works of new music from locally and nationally recognized composers and arrangers, and has performed these works in their world

premieres. The Chorus is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), and is a nationally recognized part of the LGBT choral movement.