Gays and lesbians creating change through the power of music

RCC Timeline

• 1985 - Renaissance City Choir/Pittsburgh Gay Chorus Inc. is established as a gay male chorus.
• 1987 - RCC/PGC becomes a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and joins the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) -- an international organization with 9,500 members and 180 choruses.
• 1995, January - RCWC forms under director Susan Haugh. Men's choir becomes RCMC.
• 1995, May - RCC holds its tenth anniversary concert at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.
• 1995, December - Annual Holiday Concert becomes a joint performance by both choirs.
• 1998, March - First Annual WomenFest to promote local women musicians, artists and craftswomen.
• 1998, April - First Annual Cabaret to promote performance of popular music and musical theater by local artists
• 1998, July - Darlene Durrwachter Rushing becomes Artistic Director/Conductor of the RCMC.
• 1998, December - RCC/PGC receives its first foundation grant from the Lambda Foundation for the production of the choir's first compact disc: "Sing Out Women, A Tapestry of Song" by the RCWC.
• 1999, June - The Board of Directors begins the transition to include non-singing board members
• 1999, December - Both choirs perform "Frostiana" by Randall Thompson at their annual holiday concert, their first joint performance of an extended work and supported by the Small Arts Initiative of the Heinz Endowments.
• 2000, May - Both choirs present a joint spring concert which was reviewed in the Post-Gazette, only the second newspaper review in the choir's history (the first was for the 10th anniversary concert).
• 2000, July - Both choirs perform at GALA Festival 2000 in San Jose, California.
• 2001, March - The first professional development workshop for singers and artistic directors was presented by visiting artist Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell on singing in the African and African American tradition. The workshop/retreat was supported by the Small Arts Initiative of the Heinz Endowments.
• 2001, April - RCMC presented their spring concert, "Station to Station: From the Underground Railroad to Soul Train," at the Music Hall of the Carnegie Library of Homestead, with special guest artists Xpressions Contemporary Dance Company and Glorious Rebirth Gospel Choir. The concert was supported in part by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust.
• 2001, June - RCWC continued the focus on music in the African American tradition by presenting their spring concert, "The Way of the Storyteller," in collaboration with African storyteller, Temujin Ekunfeo at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty. The concert was supported in part by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust.
• 2001, October - RCC is awarded a small grant from the Allegheny Regional Asset Development Board (ARAD) for the first time.
• 2001, December - RCC presents their 17^th annual Holiday Concert to the largest audience to date. The audience on December 8 was more than 900 in attendance.
• 2002, February - The second annual professional development workshop for the singers and artistic directors was held, featuring Dr. Tim Seelig of the internationally-reknowned Turtle Creek Chorale of Dallas, Texas.
• 2002, April - RCWC presents the premier performance of I Look Like a Girl, a commissioned composition by RCWC artistic director Susan Haugh, while RCWC presents "Oliver Button is a Sissy" in a joint concert for children and families.
• 2002, June - RCC begins a 6-month-long planning process to build a three-year strategic plan.
• 2002, December 14 - RCC presents its 18^th annual Holiday Concert, Gay La!La!, which was broadcast live by WQED Radio. The station rebroadcast our concert Christmas day at 5 p.m.
• 2003, February – The third annual professional development workshop for singers and artistic directors was held, featuring Professor Rodney Eichenberger from Florida State University (supported by the Heinz Endowments).
• 2003, April – The RCWC presented the concert “Dykes! Camera! Action” on the history of lesbians in film at the Eddy Theater on the campus of Chatham College.
• 2003, April – Mimi Lerner, renowned mezzo soprano, presents a singing clinic to the members of the RCWC (supported by the Heinz Endowments).
• 2003, April – The RCMC presented “CENSORED,” a concert on books, television, film and radio that have been censored or banned for gay content at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty.
• 2003, May – The RCC selects James Mulholland, composer, from a national search to create an original composition to premiere in 2004 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary season.
• 2003, June -- Dr. Tim Seelig of the internationally-renowned Turtle Creek Chorale of Dallas, Texas, returns to coach the artistic directors in conducting techniques and to present a one-day workshop to the RCMC (supported by the Heinz Endowment).
• 2003, July – The RCMC record their first-ever professional compact disc, Holiday Jewels, which was released in November, 2004
• 2003, October -Excerpts from an RCWC rehearsal were played by Catherine Fink on NPR Morning Edition in a GLBT organization series
• 2003, December – The 19^th annual Holiday Concert, “Come Out for the Holidays,” was again broadcast live on WQED-FM.
• 2004, February – Professor John Goldsmith of the University of Pittsburgh presents a workshop, "Calibrating the Ear" to RCC members.
• 2004, April – RCC presents "Who’s Who," a concert showcase of some of the most famous names from history, politics, music and literature who were gay at the Kelly-Strayhorn.
• 2004, May – June – Vocal clinics for RCWC with Mimi Lerner and for RCMC with Ray Blackwell.
• 2004, July – RCC performs the commission piece by James Mulholland at the GALA Festival in Montreal (supported by the Heinz Endowment).
• 2004, August - Dr. Bill Adams joins RCC as the Artistic Director of the RCMC
• 2004, December - the 20^th annual Holiday Concert, "Holidays Bright & Gay" with jazz superstar Etta Cox
• 2005, February - Dr. Andre Thomas, noted choral clinician, conducts a weekend clinic for RCC and RCC adds a Managing Director with the position filled by Robin Godfrey
• 2005, March - RCWC Perfect 10 Tour with performances at California University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro university, and Penn State's Fayette campus
• 2005, April - The RCMC presents "Finding Our Voices", a 20^th anniversary celebration retrospective
• 2005, May - The RCWC presents "Women Who Rocked the World"
• 2005, December - Opening our 21^st anniversary season, RCC presents "Holiday Lights" including the new commissioned works "When We Sing" by Steven Milloy and "Light" by Susan Haugh
• 2006, May - Joint choirs present "on the Boardwalk ... On the Town" with the RCMC celebrating the works of Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn in "Lush Life" and the women performing songs of the sand sea, and surf in "At the Beach".
• 2006, August - Andres Caldera joins RCC as Artistic Director of the RCWC
• 2006, September - RCMC performs at the Flight 93 Memorial Service in Shanksville, PA, featuring an arrangement of Melissa Etheridge's "Tuesday Morning" honoring Mark Bingham
• 2006, December - Our annual Holiday Concert "Holidays in Our Home"