Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida Presents World Premiere of Choral Requiem Commemorating 10 Years since the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida Presents World Premiere of Choral Requiem Commemorating 10 Years since the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Invincible: A Pride Concert of Remembrance, Resilience, and Song

 

(Ft. Lauderdale, FL)  — On June 19, 2026 — Juneteenth — the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF) will present the world premiere of Amor Eterno: A Requiem for Pulse, a choral work by award-winning composer Saunder Choi commissioned to mark 10 years since the Pulse nightclub shooting. The world premiere performance anchors the concert titled Invincible: A Pride Concert of Remembrance, Resilience, and Song, taking place at 8:00 pm at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets start at $45 and are available at browardcenter.org.

On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The attack killed 49 people and wounded 53 others, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history at the time. The victims were predominantly young Latino LGBTQ individuals. The shooting was widely condemned as both a hate crime targeting the LGBTQ community and an act of terrorism, and it prompted renewed national debates about gun control and LGBTQ safety.

"This year's Pride concert, entitled Invincible, is an evening of music that not only pays tribute to the 10th annual remembrance of the Pulse shootings, but is also an affirmation of the LGBTQ community's ability to rise above hate and move forward with love and joy,” said Artistic Director Gabe Salazar. “The idea for this kind of collaboration took root at the 2024 GALA Choruses Festival in Minneapolis, where witnessing hundreds of LGBTQ voices singing as one reminded me of what is possible when our community comes together. That inspiration led directly to The Rainbow Connection last June – the first time the three GALA Choruses of Florida united on one stage. Invincible is the next step, expanded in scope and deepened in purpose. The tenth annual remembrance of Pulse is a chance to ask ourselves what we have learned, how we have healed, and what we still owe to those we lost. When I approached composer Saunder Choi about this commission, I wanted music that carried grief with tenderness and transformed it into something luminous."

"Amor Eterno: A Requiem for Pulse is written as an offering of comfort to those who continue to carry the memory of the Pulse tragedy,” said composer Saunder Choi. “Inspired by the humanistic vision of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, the work shifts the focus from ritual prayers for the departed toward solace for the living. Through the voices of contemporary poets and the stories of families and survivors, the piece honors a community forever changed by violence while affirming that love, joy, and remembrance remain acts of resilience." 

In this 45-minute choral work, featuring soloists bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca and soprano Elisse Albian, Choi sets poetry by LGBTQ writers Amir Rabiyah, Leo Herrera, Andrea Assaf, and Brian Sonia-Wallace, whose work traces grief, longing, frustration, and the persistence of love across the decade since the shooting.

The GMCSF marked its 15th anniversary in 2025, and in that time has grown into the largest gay men's chorus in the southeastern United States, building a reputation for uplifting the LGBTQ community through song. The group regularly collaborates with living composers — including Saunder Choi — and with organizations throughout the region. For this performance, they are joined by the Orlando Gay Chorus and the Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay, two ensembles celebrated for their artistic excellence and community dedication, as well as the Symphony of the Americas, which has brought a rich and varied repertoire to South Florida's multicultural audiences for more than 30 seasons. 

PERFORMANCE DETAILS FOR LISTINGS

Date & Time: Location: Friday, June 19, 2026 at 8:00 pm, Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Tickets: Purchase Here; starting at $45
Performers: Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, Symphony of the Americas, Orlando Gay Chorus, and The Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay

Photos: HERE

Amor Eterno: A Requiem for Pulse composed by Saunder Choi

“Stand Up”: Words and music by Joshuah Campbell and Cynthia Echeumuna-Erivo, Arranged by Mac Huff

“Roar”: Music and lyrics by Dr. Luke, Henry, Walter, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, and Max Martin. Arranged by David Maddux.

“Rainbow Reign”: Music and lyrics by Carl McGregor, Kofi A Owusu-Ofori, Jean-Yves G. Ducornet, and Todrick Dramaul Hall. Arranged by David Maddux.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing”: Words by James Weldon Johnson, Music by J Rosamond Johnson, Arranged by Craig Courtney. Quoting Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen

“Invincible”: Music and lyrics by Sia Furler, Jesse Shatkin, Steve Mostyn, and Warren Felder. Arranged by David Maddux.

“Golden”: Music and lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick, 24, Ido, Teddy Park, a.k.a. Park Hung-Jun, Ejae a.k.a. Kim Eun-Jae. Arranged by David Maddux.

“Get On Your Feet”: Music and lyrics by Jorge Casas, Clay Ostwald, and John Defaria. Arranged by David Maddux

“Freedom”: Words and music by John Lomax, Jonny Cooper, Alan Lomax, Frank Tirado, Kendrick Lamar, Arrow Benjamin, Carla Marie, and Beyoncé, arranged by Counterfeit Madison.

Emerging from tragedy to triumph is a trademark of the LGBTQ community. In one spectacular evening, the Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida will be joined by the state's most powerful choral groups to pay tribute to the 10th anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shootings and our community's incredible ability to push forward with courage and strength. This night of remembrance will fuel determination and pride, while inspiring us to join and stand proud as we face the challenges of today and the future. The world premiere of a specially commissioned work by acclaimed composer Saunders Choi anchors the evening, followed by uplifting songs that celebrate the strength of the LGBTQ community. Featuring over 200 voices, dance, and spoken word, this concert promises to be the most significant cultural event of the year.

About the Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF)

The Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida is a vibrant community of voices, blending generations and cultures with one shared mission: to sing so that LGBTQ people can live their truth through quality music experiences that inspire audiences, open minds, change hearts, and affirm our common humanity.

Founded in 2010, GMCSF has grown into the largest gay men's chorus in the southeastern United States and one of the top ten LGBTQ choruses nationally, with a roster of over 180 singers. Through grand-scale concerts, community engagement, and volunteer-driven outreach, the Chorus reaches more than 35,000 live audience members annually and welcomes over 72,000 visitors to its digital platform.

A defining milestone came in 2016 when GMCSF partnered with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood to present its holiday concert at Hard Rock Live. That collaboration has since evolved into a longstanding partnership rooted in music, visibility, and community impact. Whether on stage or in service, GMCSF continues to build bridges, create belonging, and shape South Florida's cultural future through the power of music.

About Saunder Choi
Saunder Choi is a Los Angeles-based Filipino-Chinese composer and choral artist. Winner of the 2024 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Raymond Brock Prize for professional composers, his works have been performed internationally by various groups including Conspirare, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony, World Youth Choir, Brightwork New Music, People Inside Electronics, and many others. As an arranger and orchestrator, Saunder has written for Tony-Award winner Lea Salonga, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Auburn Symphony, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, etc.

As a choral artist, he sings with Pacific Chorale, L.A. Choral Lab, HEX Vocal Ensemble, as well as in film scores such as the soundtrack of Disney’s The Lion King (2019), Mulan (2020), Turning Red (2022), Nope (2022), Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022), etc.

Saunder believes in music as advocacy, using the media as a platform for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice. His compositions are focused on narratives and conversations surrounding immigration, racial justice, LGBTQ advocacy, climate justice, and representations of his identity and roots. He is currently Director of Music at Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica and a teaching artist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay
Rooted in a choral tradition dating back to 1987, the Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay (GMCTB) has been the Tampa Bay region's premier LGBTQIA choral group since 2002, presenting two or more major concerts each season across Tampa and St. Petersburg. A proud member of GALA Choruses and a fixture at national GALA festivals since 2004, GMCTB has performed alongside national touring artists including Hugh Jackman and Demi Lovato, and has sung the national anthem for the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tampa Bay Rowdies. The chorus celebrates the inherent dignity of all people through excellence in men's choral music, believing in the transformative power of song to change society's beliefs about the LGBTQ community.

Orlando Gay Chorus
Founded on Valentine's Day in 1990, the Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is one of the largest mixed LGBTQ choruses in the country, with a membership of 150 singers and six small ensembles that perform at mainstage concerts, cabarets, and community events throughout Central Florida. OGC has a profound personal connection to the Pulse tragedy, having performed in over 150 Pulse-related community engagements in the year following the 2016 shooting, and earning the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast in Orlando. Its mission is to create a community that affirms diversity through the performing arts - building bridges of understanding through artistic excellence and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and authenticity.

Symphony of the Americas
Now celebrating its 38th season, the Symphony of the Americas is a Broward County Major Cultural Institution presenting the finest classical and crossover repertoire to South Florida audiences. Under the direction of Music Director Luke Frazier, the Symphony performs at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale and throughout the region. Committed to serving South Florida's multicultural population with diverse programming – from classical masterworks to Broadway – the Symphony continues to be a cultural crossroads of music that reflects the richness and vibrancy of its community.