Le Chœur Gai de Montréal (CGDM)

Founded in 2005, the CGDM is a men’s choir composed primarily of members from the Greater Montréal LGBTQ community.

Mission

The CGDM’s mission is to provide men from diverse backgrounds with a supportive environment for practicing and promoting choral singing, so they can fully develop their personal and artistic potential.

Its goals are:

Maintain a male vocal ensemble performing a diverse repertoire in a creative setting.
Provide men of diverse ages and backgrounds with a space to express themselves through a cultural and social activity.
To enhance the cultural visibility of Montreal’s gay community locally, nationally, and internationally by offering original and high-quality performances.
To foster a sense of belonging among members through diverse choral experiences in an open, respectful, and professional environment.
To present performances at festivals and events that engage both the LGBTQ+ community and the broader public.
To pursue artistic excellence while keeping the joy of singing at the heart of a welcoming environment that encourages both personal and collective growth.

Since 2005, Montreal Gay Men’s Chorus (CGDM) has had…

3 Founding Members
François Monette, André Côté and Dean Brown

5 Presidents
André Côté, Michel St-Louis, Christian McCann, André Lachapelle and Karl Lessard

4 Musical Directors
François Monette (2005-2008), Serge Simard (2008-2011), Jacques Lachapelle (2011-2015) and Julie Roy (since 2015)

6 Pianists and Musical Direction Assistant
Serge Simard (2006-2008), Julie Roy (2008-2015) replaced by Émanuelle Majeau for one session, Isabelle Vadeboncoeur (2018-2022), Catherine Maurais (2023-2024) and Lorenzo Somma (2016-2020 and since 2024)

8 Stage Directors
André Côté, Denis Brassard, Nathalie Deschamps, Christian McCann, Jean-Paul Acco, Geneviève Lauzon, Jason McNally and Julie Roy

8 Choreographers
Dean Brown, Alexia Gourd, David Poulin, Christian McCann, Geneviève Lauzon, Jason McNally, Martin Labrie and Claudia Meunier

209 Choristers
Including two original members: François Richard and Robert Waldren

27 Concerts
Out of the closet (May 2006), Imagine (December 2006), Bohemia (May 2007), Prise 3 (May 2008), La quatrième dimension (May 2009), Harmonies d’hiver (December 2009), Moment’hom (June 2010), Rouge (May 2011), Profils (May 2012), CGDM FM (May 2013), Être ce que nous sommes (May 2014), Quand j’ai su… (May 2015), Harmonies d’hiver 2.0 (December 2015), Ils chantent Elles (May 2016), Serenata (February 2017), Fantasmagories (June 2017), Évolution (April 2018), La Chasse-galerie (December 2018), Au temps des amours éphémères (June 2019), Retrouvailles (December 2021), Le grand jour (May 2022), En toute intimité… (February 2023), De l’autre côté du mur (May 2023), Un conte de Noël (December 2023), Bonbons assortis et plaisirs coupables (May 2024), Échos intimes (January 2025) and 20 ans d’histoire et d’harmonies (June 2025)

4 International Events
1st World Outgames – Montreal, July 2006
Gala Choruses – Miami, July 2008
‘Montréal sur Seine’ Concert at the invitation of the Mélo’men Choir – Paris, June 2014
Various Voices – Dublin, June 2014
Unison Festival, May 2026

8 ‘Mondial Choral de Laval’

A repertoire of 263 songs

Over 100 performances in support of community organizations or for promotional purposes in Quebec and across Canada

Tens of thousands of Spectators