Company Profile
Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus
Company Overview
The Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus is a 40-50-member open group (non-auditioned) for TTBB voices and performs an annual fundraising event as well as three primary concerts per year – a holiday concert, a spring concert, and a cabaret-style performance in connection with the city’s pride celebration. DMGMC is a member of GALA Choruses.
Through its artistic and outreach programming, DMGMC has performed at high-profile events within the community and provided loyal and growing audiences with exquisite sound and musicianship. The Chorus has used its voice to bring stories to life that have been important to the LGBTQ+ movement with significant works such as I Am Harvey Milk and Unbreakable by Andrew Lippa, Tyler’s Suite created by Stephen Schwartz and Dr. Timothy Seeling (San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus), and themed concerts like Music for Change, When I Knew, Our Bodies Our Lives, and more. The group sings at Pride festivals throughout the state, churches within the community, and considers invitations to many other events annually (both connected with the LGBTQ+ community and not). Launched in the fall of 2020, DMGMC has developed an inclusive and engaging online curriculum, Out in the Schools. Eighteen Iowa schools have engaged with the course since it became available.
Company History
The Des Moines Men’s Chorus boasts 40-50 singers who have banded together to sing in support of justice, inclusion, and love. It is open to those who sing in the tenor and bass ranges, regardless of gender. The chorus was founded by Dr. Randal A. Buikema in 2001, who also served as the Artistic Director until 2005. Its first electrifying performance, given before a standing room only crowd, was filled with the promise of a chance to make real change. Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Rebecca Gruber came to the DMGMC in 2005 and led the chorus until stepping down in 2020.
The DMGMC makes art that the gay community can be proud of. We trust that our visibility in the arts community and the community at large will bring about acceptance and change. The DMGMC is proud to support Iowans as they work for civil justice in the workplace, in housing, for safety in our schools, and for racial equality. People come to our concerts for good music, of course, but they also come to declare something important about themselves. Our presence as “the gay organization” has made a difference in the lives of central Iowans, and has been a boon to men’s choral music in our region.