After a decade as Artistic Director & Conductor, San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus announced that Dr. Tim Seelig will retire at the end of the chorus' 44th season in 2022.
A committee led by Paul Saccone and Maren Amdal will formally launch the search for SFGMC's next Artistic Director on August 1.
"As I look back over the last decade with the chorus, the milestones are humbling," said Seelig in a press statement.
"The chorus has been able to honor its commitment to music and mission. The music, new and old, has been glorious. The mission continues to stand as a beacon guiding this chorus through what is now 43 years. For me, the successes of these 10 seasons with SFGMC are not counted in numbers of singers or dollars, but in the lives and hearts moved by the music we have made together."
Considered one of the nation's most prolific choral directors, Seelig has had an accomplished ten seasons at San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus marked by several distinguished milestones, including the Lavender Pen Tour, the groundbreaking tour that took the chorus through five southern states in the fall of 2017; the subsequent release of Gay Chorus Deep South, the award-winning documentary chronicling the Lavender Pen Tour.
"San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will forever be indebted to Tim for his many years of service and contributions to the chorus and our community," said the chorus' Executive Director Chris Verdugo. "During his tenure, the organization has seen an overwhelming increase in chorus members —expanding to over 300 singers— and he's created an artistic product to rival some of the best men's choral ensembles in the country. He helped elevate SFGMC to the global stage while also transforming the chorus into a worldwide leader in the LGBTQ+ choral movement. He's been a partner, friend and leader."
Prior to joining San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, Seelig was Artistic Director and Conductor of Dallas' Turtle Creek Chorale for 20 years, where he is currently Conductor Emeritus, and served on the faculty at Southern Methodist University for 14 years. Seelig's early training was as a singer. In 2022, Dr. Seelig will have been conducting LGBTQ choruses for 35 years.
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