Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles is one of the most celebrated choral organizations in the Southern California region. The chorus, under the direction of Dr. Bruce Mayhall, delivers the drama of the classic carol “Little Drummer Boy” and the serenity of “Peace on Earth.”
GMCLA has been a leader among the Los Angeles performing arts community for 28 continuous years. Formed in 1979 as a completely volunteer effort of 99 gay men from Los Angeles, GMCLA now has more than 230 members, gained professional artistic and administrative staff, toured nationally and internationally, released 13 compact discs and appeared with numerous stage, film, and television celebrities.
The Chorus’s television appearances include Mad TV, Will & Grace and Six Feet Under. GMCLA also has made appearances with Jerry Herman, Lily Tomlin, Nancy Dussault, Malcolm Gets, Joanna Gleason, Jane Lanier, Marilynn Lovell Matz, Susan Egan, Roy Cornelius Smith, Vox Femina Los Angeles, Albert McNeil Jubliee Singers, the Southeast Symphony Orchestra and the Chinese Classical Music Ensemble.
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "... one of the important links to a glorious tradition in music," the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is an ensemble dedicated to excellence in the performance and advancement of the broad range of men’s choral literature. GMCLA builds a sense of community and positive self-image among gay men and provides important bridges of understanding to the community at large. The group has contributed to the male choral repertoire by commissioning more than 200 new works and arrangements since 2001.
Among the many "firsts" of this dynamic arts organization, GMCLA became the first gay ensemble ever to perform for a sitting U.S. President; the first gay U.S. chorus to tour Central Europe in 1991 (a documentary of this historic tour, entitled Out Loud, has been seen by millions of PBS viewers); and the first openly gay performers ever to be broadcast nationally over Russian television in 1999. In fall 2006, GMCLA continued its international outreach through performances in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. In each of these countries, the Chorus raised money for LGBT and HIV organizations. The legacy of this effort was the formation of the first gay chorus in South America, based in Rio de Janeiro.
