San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to Open 36th Season with Annual CRESCENDO Gala, 10/13

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) announced Crescendo: The Next 35, to kick-off its 36th season,Illuminate, on Sunday, October 13, 2013, from 12 - 3 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel (757 Market Street, San Francisco). After a successful 35thanniversary season, Crescendo provides a sneak peek of the chorus' next 35 years. The Sunday brunch includes a preview of selections from the upcoming season, which will be packed with enlightening world premieres and dazzling divas, in some of the city's most beloved venues. With proceeds benefiting SFGMC, Crescendo includes a silent and live auction and an awards ceremony honoring the Tyler Clementi Foundation, KQED, and the Bob Ross Foundationfor their contributions to the LGBT community. Special guests include keynote speaker, James Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, with musical performances by opera diva and Adler Fellow Marina Harris, violin virtuoso Kevin Rogers and New York composer and singer Lance Horne. Tickets forCrescendo range in price from $150 to $2,500 for a VIP table of ten and are available by visiting www.SFGMC.org/crescendo.

"This year, the 8th annual Crescendo gala will ignite our 36th season with a decadent champagne brunch and entertaining performances," says Crescendo co-chair, Jeffrey Huang. "Additionally, we are excited to honor three organizations for their significant contributions, programming, and initiatives that align with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus' mission to inspire community, activism and compassion."

The 2013 honorees include Tyler Clementi Foundation as the 2013 Human Rights Champion. Since the Rutgers University student took his own life three years ago, the Clementi family has built a network to share letters, articles and various words of encouragement about LGBT acceptance. The chorus will pay tribute to the Foundation's various programmatic initiatives and advocacy work to increase acceptance of LGBT people. SFGMC will award KQED as the 2013 Media Champion for the network's dedication to supporting and strengthening local heritage through LGBT programming and initiatives, including the LGBT Pride Month Local Heroes. This year's Institutional Champion, the Bob Ross Foundation, will be honored for their ten years of support for local non-profits in LGBT, arts and culture, and HIV initiatives.

Previous awardees include Dan Savage (2012) and Stuart Milk (2011) for the Human Rights Champion; Joe Jervis from Joe.My.God (2012) and Bay Area Reporter (2011) for the Media Champion; and Randy Arnold, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly (2012) and Diageo Americas (2011) for the Institutional Champion.

Tickets for Crescendo range in price from $150 for a single ticket to $2,500 for a VIP table of ten and are available by visiting www.SFGMC.org/crescendo.

For 35 years, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus has courageously served as the international standard bearer for a powerful and accomplished mix of high-caliber performance, human rights, community activism, empowerment and inclusiveness, establishing it as an icon among LGBT organizations. Founded in 1978, it was the first organization of its kind and is credited with starting the LGBT choral movement, galvanizing and changing the course of LGBT history. It continues to rally and inspire other arts-based community organizations around the world. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Timothy Seelig, SFGMC has in recent seasons established a heightened level of performance standards receiving audience and choral acclaim, increased its touring and recording profile and broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and high-voltage performances. For more information about the performances and SFGMC, visit www.sfgmc.org. Follow SFGMC on facebook.com/sfgmc andtwitter.com/sfgmc.