GGMC History

The DKGMC was reorganized as the Golden Gate Men's Chorus, with J. Stephan Repasky appointed as interim director, until the appointment in January 1989 of Dr. Walter Thomas. In summer 1989, the GGMC acted as corporate sponsor for NorCal GALA Choruses (no other chorus could assume fiscal responsibility at that time), which was chartered to produce the "GALA Preview" concert, including 9 Bay Area and Sacramento GALA choruses, in preparation for the GALA III festival in Seattle, which was attended by 43 choruses. True to its mission statement, the GGMC again presented the only classical music program at the festival. After Dr. Thomas' departure at the end of 1989, William Garcia Ganz was appointed in January 1991. During his four-year tenure, the GGMC produced three full concerts of all-American composers, as well as two concerts in conjunction with the Society of Gay and Lesbian Composers of new works by local lesbian and gay composers. The GGMC also performed joint reciprocal holiday concerts with the Sacramento GMC in San Francisco and Sacramento (1990,1991) and with Slavyanka Slavic chorus in San Francisco and Santa Clara (1994, 1995).

In summer 1992, in preparation for the GALA IV festival in Denver, the GGMC was the highlighted performer at the Pride Concert, celebrating its 10th anniversary, and continued to Denver, where it presented a warmly received program of Renaissance sacred music. In January 1995, William Garcia Ganz and Martha Stoddard were appointed as co-music directors. Under their direction, the GGMC performed in the Sacramento Pride Concert (springå 95), Menlo Park (winter 95), and San Jose Pride Concert (spring 96), and the GALA V festival in Tampa in the summer of 1996.

In August 1996, Joseph Jennings was appointed music director. Under Mr. Jennings, the GGMC again achieved a high level of artistic quality, attracted a steady flow of excellent musicians as new members, and expanded its audience and donor base, until Mr. Jennings’ retirement in September 2009. In May 2010, Joseph Piazza was selected to direct the GGMC.

In February 2014, GGMC small ensemble Counterpoint sang at the American Choral Directors Western Division Regional Convention in Santa Barbara, CA. In July 2014, GGMC toured the Baltic states of Lithuania and Latvia, and competed at the 8th World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia, where the chorus was awarded gold medals in the “Musica Sacra with accompaniment” and “Male Choirs” Champions Competitions, and a silver medal in the “Spiritual” Champions Competition. In November 2016, GGMC competed at the Golden State Choral Trophy in Monterey, CA, and was awarded a gold medal diploma and category winner for male choruses.

In July 2018, the Golden Gate Men's Chorus toured the United Kingdom, performing in the Brighton Royal Pavilion Music Room, Oxford's Christ Church Cathedral, and the Bath Abbey; before competing at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, where the chorus took 1st place in the Adult Folk Song Choir competition and small ensemble, Counterpoint, took 3rd place in the International Acapella Group competition. In July 2020, GGMC will travel to Minneapolis, MN for the eleventh GALA Festival. We are proud of our many achievements and are confident that our history and experience will guide our success in the next 30 years.