Artistic Director

 After a search process by an RGMC Search Committee and with the unanimous approval of the RGMC Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure we announce Wilson Southerland as the next Artistic Director of the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus.

Wilson Southerland, who is currently the Interim Artistic Director and former Guest Conductor, will take the helm and lead the RGMC into its 37th year of excellence in the choral arts, beginning with out 2019-2020 Season. As Artistic Director, Wilson will be responsible for all artistic aspects of the RGMC, including directing and conducting our three major concerts, providing overall artistic direction for choral engagements in our community, overseeing our Music Selection and Production committees, working collaboratively with all members of the chorus including staff and the board of directors, and bringing his unique style and talents to our choral family.

We are thrilled to welcome Wilson and look forward to the phenomenal skills, talents, insights, creativity, and opportunities that he brings to the RGMC.

Bio for Wilson Southerland:

Wilson is in demand throughout the U.S., Africa, Europe, and the Middle East as a pianist, conductor, coach, and educator. He made his conducting debut to high acclaim with Philip Glass’s Les Enfants Terribles at North Carolina Opera in 2012 and subsequently made his NYC debut soon after.

Wilson has traveled the world as a pianist, coach, assistant conductor, and recitalist at opera companies such as Opera Africa in Pretoria, South Africa, the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Les Azuriales Opera in France, Si Paria Si Canta in Italy, AIMS-Graz in Austria, and the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman. He was one of 24 singer/pianist duos worldwide chosen to compete in the Wigmore Hall International Art Song Competition in London.

Stateside, Wilson was a principal coach at Seattle Opera for 3 seasons, as well as an associate conductor/pianist at Gotham Chamber Opera and Chelsea Opera (NYC), Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Birmingham, Opera Memphis, Spoleto USA, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He spends his summers as a principal conductor at The Ohio Light Opera.

Wilson holds degrees in piano from Vanderbilt University and The Juilliard School, and he is currently an Assistant Professor of Opera at the Eastman School of Music. Wilson was the guest conductor for the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus for the 2018 Holiday Concert and the 2019 Finding Oz concert.

Wilson’s mantra is "Plan in decades, think in years, work in months, live in days."