Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles

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Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles

Background information
Also known as	GMCLA
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre(s)	Choral, jazz, popular
Occupation(s)	Men's Chorus
Instrument(s)	226 voices
Years active	12 July 1979 – present
Label(s)	GMCLA
Website	www.gmcla.org
Members
Artistic Director Dr. Bruce Mayhall Executive Director Hywel W. Sims Assistant Conductor Kevin Robison

The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) has been a notable part of the Southern California performing arts community for over twenty-six years. Formed July 12, 1979 as a volunteer effort of 99 gay men from all over the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, GMCLA has grown in size, gained professional artistic and administrative staff, toured nationally and internationally, released fourteen CDs, and appeared with numerous stage, film and television celebrities. The Chorus has appeared on several television broadcasts including Will and Grace, The Ren and Stimpy Show, Mad TV, and six episodes of Six Feet Under.

GMCLA became the first gay men's U.S. chorus to tour central Europe in 1991. That historic tour was featured in a documentary entitled "Out Loud" and was broadcast on the PBS television network.

GMCLA became the first gay men's chorus ever to perform for a sitting President of the United States, Bill Clinton.

GMCLA became the first openly gay performers ever to be broadcast nationally over Russian television during their 1999 concert tour (sold out concert in Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow).

GMCLA was the first openly gay chorus to tour South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile) in 2006, performing at some ot the continent's most revered theatres and concert venues. Repertoire included North American and European classical and popular music from Bacharach to Verdi, as well as new works commissioned for the tour by Daniel Catan, Rosephanye Powell, and Daniel Alfonso. New music for the Tour was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Irvine Foundation, and Los Angeles County Arts Commission. In each of the four countries, the Chorus raised money for LGBT and HIV organizations, as well as helping to start the first gay chorus in South America, to be based in Rio de Janeiro.

Each year the Chorus prepares three main concerts, each performed four times in the historic landmark Alex Theater, Glendale, California, and has performed over 100 times on the Alex stage since 1994, more than any other musical group in the theater's history.