The Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus (DMGMC) reorganized in 2001 under the guidance of Dr. Randal A. Buikema, Artistic Director and Conductor from 2001 to 2005. An earlier chorus, the Des Moines Men’s Chorus, performed in Des Moines from 1985 until it disbanded in 1992. With seed funding generated from supportive individuals in the community, the new Chorus gave its first performance in May, 2001.
Since then, the Chorus has participated in events at the Des Moines Art Center, Jazz in July, Hoyt Sherman Place, Salsbury House, the State Capitol, Wells Fargo Arena and many other venues throughout the city of Des Moines. The Chorus is especially proud to take part in the annual Capital City Pride and All Iowa AIDS Benefit. In 2003 the DMGMC was honored to perform at the Inaugural Ceremony of Governor Tom Vilsack. In 2007 the Chorus was pleased to sing for the Inaugural Ceremony of the Honorable Chet Culver, Governor of Iowa. In 2003 (with Hillary Clinton as keynote speaker) and in 2006 (with Bill Clinton as keynote speaker), the Chorus was invited to sing the National Anthem at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, an event which receives both state-wide and national attention.
In the spring of 2006, the DMGMC hired Rebecca Gruber as their new Artistic Director and Conductor. Ms. Gruber comes to the Chorus with a broad musical background in both vocal performance and conducting and has been a featured soloist with the Chorus many times.
REBECCA GRUBER – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / CONDUCTOR
Rebecca Gruber is the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, a position she assumed in June of 2006 after spending the Fall of 2005 as interim Conductor. She is also the Choirmaster of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Des Moines where she conducts the Cathedral Choir in weekly Eucharist and has the honor to prepare choral evensong services with the professional choir in residence, the Howells Scholars. Ms. Gruber administers the Cathedral Arts Series at St. Paul’s, whose offerings include children’s choirs, jazz, nationally recognized organists, chancel opera, major choral works and chamber music. Ms. Gruber is often heard as soprano soloist; she maintains an active voice studio in Des Moines.
Ms. Gruber enjoys conducting festivals and clinics for musicians throughout the country. She conducted the American Baptist Summer Music Conference in Greenlake, Wisconsin in the summer of 2006. For a number of years she has conducted C.A.C.T.U.S. (Creative Arts Camp-Together Under the Sun) at Westminster Church in Des Moines. She was conductor of the Des Moines Elementary Honor Choir, the Southwest Iowa Honor Choir, Choristers Guild Children’s Festival in Rochester, Minnesota and the Richner-Strong Church Music Institute at Colby College in Maine. In the Spring of 2007, she will conduct the “Voices of Tomorrow” Honor Choir in El Paso, Texas.
In addition to her work with the Gay Men’s Chorus and in church music, Ms. Gruber has spent significant time in academia. She holds a Master of Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology and a Master of Music in choral conducting from Southern Methodist University. Her undergraduate degree in voice/music education is from Simpson College. In 1995, she returned to Simpson as a member of the choral/voice faculty, a position which she held for seven years. She is now a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of Nebraska.
BEN HAGEN – ACCOMPANIST
Ben Hagen graduated from the University of Iowa in 2002 with majors in piano performance and mathematics. While at the U of I, he was the piano accompanist for the Old Gold Singers, the University of Iowa show choir. During college, he spent his summers playing with the show band for Princess Cruises. Ben also spent many college Friday nights playing at the Iowa Athletic Club in Iowa City. He has accompanied professional artists such as Simon Estes, Nick Lane and Amy Wagar. Ben has also been the rehearsal accompanist and keyboard player for the Stage West productions of Urinetown: The Musical and Johnny Guitar. Since 2002, he has been an actuary with EMC Insurance in Des Moines. Ben has accompanied the DMGMC since the Fall of 2005.