Register for GALA Choruses
Leadership Symposium 2026
February 12–15, 2026 | Columbus, OH
GALA’s Leadership Symposium offers an opportunity for leaders of GALA member choruses to meet one another, attend workshops, network, learn about ways to engage with schools in your community, and to pick up resources for building successful choruses. We’ll share our success stories, learn from our collective mistakes, and have a great time in a beautiful location! It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet peers, and we’ll have special intensive workshops for new GALA chorus ADs, new chorus board members, and chorus managers.
In addition to a full slate of workshops and seminars, there will be plenty of open-agenda time to discuss the particular issues with which your chorus might be struggling. We’ll have round-table discussions, one-on-one consultations with GALA 411 Advisors, and social gatherings.
All sales are final. Please contact us to transfer registrations if you are unable to attend, subject to demand.
The Leadership Symposium will take place at the Riffe Center; GALA Choruses has a group rate available at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. Room rates start at $129 per night—you can book rooms in the GALA hotel block here. The concerts will take place at the Davidson Theatre at the Riffe Center. Tickets for the public / anyone not registered for Symposium for Friday’s performance are available here, for $20pp plus fees; tickets for Saturday’s concert are available here, for $30pp plus fees, or $60pp plus fees for VIP access.
Schedule
*please note that schedules are tentative and may change at any time leading up to the event
Friday 2/13 Detailed Schedule
Saturday 2/14 Detailed Schedule
Presentation Descriptions (Listed By Title Alphabetical Order)
Ensemble Bootcamp
2026 Symposium in Columbus will have Ensemble Boot Camp. Dr. Ethan Sperry will work with Ensembles from around GALA, culminating in a joint performance Friday. Ensemble registration cost is $500 for the group. The ensemble performance will be on Friday, 2/13 at 7pmET in the Davidson Theatre at the Columbus Riffe Center. Registration has closed for the Ensemble Bootcamp but if you are interested in signing your group up please reach out to info@galachoruses.org.
Tickets for the public/anyone not registered for Symposium are available for $20 per person plus fees for Friday night’s Ensemble Concert.
Saturday Night Choral Blockbuster
On Saturday night of Symposium, four local choruses will perform in a Choral Blockbuster, hosted by Naysha Lopez, RuPaul’s Season 8 and All-Stars 8 contestant. This concert will take place on Saturday, 2/14 at 5pm ET at the Davidson Theatre at the Columbus Riffe Center, followed by a party for all Symposium attendees and performers.
While there is no individual cost for Ensemble Boot Camp or Local Chorus members to perform at Symposium, they can take advantage of the workshops that GALA offers for the reduced cost of $150.
Tickets for the public/anyone not registered for Symposium are available for $30 per person (plus fees) for Saturday night’s Choral Blockbuster Concert. VIP tickets are available at $60 per person (plus fees), which will support our fundraiser and entitle ticket holders to complimentary food before the show.
Information about the Choral Blockbuster After Party tickets will be provided soon.
Symposium Registration Pricing
For budgeting purposes, folks should include travel to Columbus, Ohio, and an estimated $200/night for accommodations at the Symposium hotel.
| Registration | Member Price | Non-Member Price | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early | $300 | $450 | June 1, 2025 | Sept. 30, 2025 |
| Regular | $325 | $475 | Oct. 1, 2025 | Nov. 30, 2025 |
| Late | $350 | $500 | Dec. 1, 2025 | Feb. 12, 2026 |
| Singer* participating in the Midwest Showcase or Ensemble Boot Camp | $150 | $300 | June 1, 2025 | Feb. 12, 2026 |
| Senior / Disabled | $275 | $425 | June 1, 2025 | Feb. 12, 2026 |
| Ensemble | $500 | $650 | June 1, 2025 | Oct. 21, 2025 |
*If you are interested in registering for the Symposium and are not a member of a GALA chorus, or an individual member of GALA Choruses, please consider applying for individual membership. Annual dues are $50 and include additional benefits besides discounted event registration.
Request for Workshop Proposals
GALA Choruses invites you to share your skills and talents with others in the LGBTQ choral movement by submitting a Symposium Workshop Proposal. Note that symposium workshop sessions will be 60 or 90 minutes in length. In keeping with historical precedent and current financial practice and policy, GALA members volunteer their services when serving as a clinician, presenter, or in other professional capacity for GALA sponsored events. GALA Choruses member clinicians are expected to officially register for the conference event at the posted rates.
The deadline for workshop proposals was August 31st, 2025.