PRESENTED BY THE ARIADNE GETTY FOUNDATION

Now in it’s 15th year, this year’s virtual event will honor legendary ‘Pegot’ aware winner Rita Moreno, Grammy award-winning multi-platinum singer LeAnn Rimes, and Emmy award-winning artistic director of Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Terrance Kelly

Evening to include special performances and presentations by LeAnn Rimes, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Glide Memorial Church Minister of Celebration Marvin K. White, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chours, The Homophonics, and more.

thursday, April 22 at 6p.m. pdt

SAN FRANCISCO (March 2, 2021)—Today, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig and Executive Director Chris Verdugo announced Crescendo Voices Rising, SFGMC’s annual benefit honoring extraordinary individuals who tirelessly champion and promote LGBTQ+ equality. Presented by The Ariadne Getty Foundation, the virtual event will take place on Thursday, April 22 at 6 p.m. PDT. Funds raised at this year’s gala will help sustain SFGMC and support its youth outreach programs.

Legendary Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (‘PEGOT’) Award winner Rita Moreno will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum singer LeAnn Rimes will be honored with the Ally Award; and Emmy Award-winning Artistic Director of The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Terrance Kelly will be honored with the Inspiration Award. The evening will feature special performances and presentations by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Glide Memorial Church Minister of Celebration Marvin K. White, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and SFGMC’s vocal ensemble The Homophonics. LeAnn Rimes—joined by San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus—will share a surprise rendition of a new song from her forthcoming album, God’s Work.

Crescendo Voices Rising will also include a virtual auction, featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences, wine tastings, trips, travel packages, gym/fitness packages, and more. To register to bid, visit sfgmc.org/crescendo.

Tickets for Crescendo Voices Rising range in price from $25 (single ticket) to $60 (family/household ticket). A limited number of VIP tickets ($250) include a ticket to Crescendo Voices Rising plus a multicourse dinner with wine from Canela Bistro & Wine Bar delivered to your home (San Francisco addresses only). In the spirit of equity and accessibility for all, patrons who are unable to afford the ticket price can use code “COMMUNITY” upon checkout for a complimentary ticket. For those who have the means to pay more than the ticket price, SFGMC humbly asks for donations to their Fund the Future effort to keep the Chorus’s voice vibrant and strong. To purchase tickets, visit sfgmc.org/crescendo.

“It has been amazing to watch Crescendo grow from its rather humble beginnings 15 years ago,” says Seelig. “The first annual fundraiser was the dream of former chairman of the Board of Directors, Paul Olsen. Each year, the support of the community has simply overwhelmed us as the event has turned into not only a gala affair, but one with global reach. The evening will be filled with music, including a world premiere virtual chorus as one of the highlights.”

“This year’s honorees embody the essence of art and activism and continue to inspire and uplift us through their music and advocacy,” adds Verdugo. “We are honored to celebrate their excellence, while also continuing our mission of amplifying the voices of those who have struggled too long to be heard.”

Crescendo Voices Rising sponsors and media partners include Presenting Sponsor The Ariadne Getty Foundation, Ruby Sponsors Chansell Capital Properties LLC, Mikkel Svane, and Zendesk; Platinum Sponsor Joe Czuberki; Silver Sponsor Janet Cluff; and Media Partner San Francisco Bay Times.

Sponsorship opportunities for Crescendo Voices Rising are available starting at $3,500. For more information, contact Ari Lipsky at ari.lipsky@sfgmc.org.

Co-chaired by Denise Geschke, Robert Moon, and Tom Paulino, the Crescendo Voices Rising committee includes Cammy Blackstone, Bryan Blair, Meghan Cast, Eric Chau, Luis Cuadra, Glenn DeSandre, Chelle Jacques, Monica MacMillan, Chris Padula, Tim Pavek, Keith Pepper, Sarah Reed, Paul Saccone, Deb Stallings, Bill Vastardis, and Ahmed Zaeem.

About SFGMC

Founded in 1978, SFGMC sparked a nationwide LGBTQ choral movement after its first public performance at a vigil on the steps of City Hall following the assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Since then SFGMC has been embedded in the fabric of San Francisco. It has soothed souls in pain, lifted spirits in triumph, and has remained a steadfast beacon of hope.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig, SFGMC has established a heightened level of performance standards bringing renewed audience and choral industry acclaim. Recent touring schedules, recordings, and outreach programs have broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and ground-breaking performances. In 2019, SFGMC acquired a historic facility that has become its permanent home for rehearsals and offices. The building also serves as the first-ever National LGBTQ Center for the Arts, a community space for LGBTQ artists and arts organizations.

For more information on SFGMC, visit www.sfgmc.org
SFGMC Archive contact: archive@sfgmc.org
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Twitter: www.twitter.com/sfgmc
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/sfgmcvideo

About Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. Her countless credits span more than seven decades, beginning with her Broadway debut at age 13. Moreno has starred on Broadway and London’s West End, appeared in more than 40 feature films, and countless television shows, and has performed in numerous regional theaters including her one woman show, Life Without Makeup at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Moreno co-stars and serves as an Executive Producer in the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story, scheduled for a December 2021 release. Her new documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, recently premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Moreno also co-stars in the critically acclaimed Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom, “One Day At A Time,” on Netflix and CBS All Access.

When not shooting a TV show or film, Moreno performs as a guest artist with symphony orchestras in addition to speaking engagements around the country.

Moreno received the Peabody Career Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture. Prior to that, she was honored by her peers as the 50th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She has served as a Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Moreno released her first ever all-Spanish language album, Una Vez Más, produced by her good friend, Emilio Estefan and has added New York Times bestselling author to her list of accomplishments with her first book, “Rita Moreno: A Memoir,” published by Celebra Books.

Moreno was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.

About LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes is an international multi-platinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter who has sold more than 44 million units globally, won 2 Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; 2 World Music Awards; 3 Academy of Country Music Awards; one Country Music Association Award and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won "Best New Artist” making her the youngest recipient to take home a Grammy® Award. LeAnn has been honored with the Ally of Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign for over 20 years of equal rights support, the 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy, and 2009 ACM Humanitarian Award, among other recognitions, solidifying her dedication to making the world a better place.

The powerhouse vocalist lit up television screens this past December as she won “The Masked Singer” on FOX, mesmerizing the crowds as The Sun. Prior to that she starred and served as an Executive Producer in Hallmark’s “It’s Christmas, Eve,” which earned the highest TV original movie debut to-date for the channel premiering to over 4.3 million viewers. Passionate about using her voice to help heal the world, LeAnn released a chant record in November of 2020 called CHANT: The Human and The Holy (Soul of EverLe/Thirty Tigers). Rimes continued her wellness journey with the launch of an iHeartRadio podcast, Wholly Human, which brings her lifestyle blog, Soul of EverLe, to life and introduces fans to the teachers and wise souls that have made a positive impact on her life. Next up, LeAnn will release her forthcoming studio album, God’s Work, on May 14th and then will celebrate her monumental 25th anniversary as a recording artist in July, commemorating the release of “Blue.”

About Terrance Kelly

Terrance Kelly, Founding Artistic Director of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, was born into a family of an esteemed jazz and gospel pianist father and gospel choir director and pianist mother. He has extensive musical credentials in both gospel and jazz music; and his operatic range and joyous emotional feel for the music make him a popular soloist as well as an accomplished director, composer and arranger. Kelly’s credits include choral arrangements on CDs by Linda Ronstadt and Kronos Quartet and gospel arrangements of popular music for TV and video soundtracks. He also wrote and/or arranged most of the music for OIGC’s six recordings. Honored at the Gospel Music Awards in 2005, Kelly received an Emmy Award in 1995 for his choral arrangement of OIGC’s KGO-TV PSA; a “Local Heroes Award” from KQED Television for his directorship of the Oakland Interfaith Youth Gospel Choir; the Dr. Edwin Hawkins Excellence Award in 2013, and Bay Area Gospel Music’s “People’s Choice Award'' in 2019.