By Denny Patterson

After a nationwide search, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF) has chosen Gabe Salazar to be its new artistic director.

An enthusiastic and experienced conductor, singer, and music educator, Salazar brings more than 15 years of experience to the chorus and is skilled in fostering the artistic development of musicians from all backgrounds of life. The last choral group Salazar led doubled in size in one year and won several festival and competition awards. Additionally, he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in March 2019.

Salazar assumed the leadership role in July 2021 and hit the ground running, becoming engaged in conversations with chorus leaders and members about the 2021-2022 season. With more than 130 singing members, the GMCSF is the largest gay men’s chorus in the southeastern U.S., and the eighth largest in the country. Its members are a brotherhood of singers dedicated to not only creating music, but also being good role models for youth, giving back to the community, and offering a helping hand to those who need one. 

OutClique caught up with Salazar to talk more about the chorus, his position, and future goals he would love to achieve.

Denny Patterson:  How does it feel to be the GMCSF’s new artistic director?

Gabe Salazar:  It feels overwhelming in a great way. I am very excited to start this new chapter with the chorus. It is something I never imagined myself being in a position like this, to have this role and the voice in our community. I am excited to get started.

DP:  What are you looking forward to the most about taking on this new position?
GS:  Having that visibility in our community and taking the group to the next level. This group is going into its 12th season, so taking us from point A to point B and elevating everything that we do in the music that we share and the people that we come in contact with every day. Making our group more known [beyond] South Florida. 

DP:  Personally, what do you hope to take away from this experience?
GS:  Being in charge of a group like this, it is fulfilling in so many different ways. It is fulfilling musically because we get to make music together, and that is the core of what we do. But just the relationships formed and the brotherhood that this group has is incredible. It is kind of hard to explain unless you are in it. I started the job July 1, 2021, and the amount of support that I have gotten from the guys is incredible. The encouragement that I receive every day, and giving me the space and opportunity to take this group to the next level, they are all supporting me 100 percent. I think the thing I am most excited about is leaving that mark and being a part of the legacy of this group. 

DP:  Have you always had a passion for music?
GS:  I had to take an elective class in high school, so I chose choir, and that was the first time I sang. My director, who was great, saw that potential. She pulled me aside and kind of mentored and invested in me. She encouraged me to audition for colleges, and I got a full ride scholarship for voice. That is kind of what started it. 

DP:  You bring 15 years of experience to the chorus. Can you tell us more about your background and fostering the artistic development of musicians?
GS:  I have always been working, and I’ve been employed at the church since I was 18. I did church choir work, and then I went to school, obviously, for music education. I have three degrees:  a bachelor’s, master’s, and a teaching certificate for music education. I have also taught at the university level. I helped start a music program at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona and I was there for about four years. Then I moved to L.A. and taught in an inner city performing arts high school, and that was really rewarding because those kids had never been exposed to music before. They did not have the means financially or the support from their parents. It was amazing to take that group and foster them for those four years, and I ended up taking them to sing at Carnegie Hall. It was cool to see their faces when they realized that they can perform in a place like Carnegie Hall. That was life changing for me. Then I moved here and taught last year at Osceola County School for the Arts, which is up near Orlando. I was teaching there for a year, and then I got this job. 

DP:  Right now, what are some goals you would like to achieve with the GMCSF?
GS:  I want to elevate the musicality of the group. It already has a great reputation, but I want to take it to the next level. The opportunities are endless with this group. We can do as much as we’re willing to, and I feel that we have a solid group of guys who are excited, especially coming back after COVID. I would love to see us go on some tours, maybe some out of the country.

A big initiative of mine is to start an LGBTQ+ ally youth chorus because working with students is a huge passion of mine. I lost a student last year; he was 12 and hung himself because he was struggling with his sexuality at home. I know that there are so many kids out there like that who don’t have a place or someone to talk to. I know I would have loved a group like that when I was a child. I think it’s really important and I think we have the opportunity to make a difference in our community here with that program. That is something we are working on, and we hope to start maybe in January.

DP:  What are some upcoming concerts we should mark in our calendars?
GS:  Our next big concert is our holiday concert, which is going to be in December 2021. We have one concert at Sunshine Cathedral, and then the following day we have it at the Hard Rock Live venue. That will be our first big debut with the full chorus. 

DP:  Before we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to mention or plug?
GS:  There is sort of a stigma that the chorus is just a bunch of old white men singing, and it’s not. It is totally different. We have huge diversity and we are really working on our diversity and inclusiveness. We have younger guys, people of color, bringing all these people together to make music is something special. Being a chorus of brothers.