Gay Men’s Choir of South Florida to premiere Invincible, a requiem to remember Pulse
On Friday, June 19, 2026, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida will present Invincible, a landmark Pride concert marking the 10th annual remembrance of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.
Ten years ago, a witness to the Pulse attack described the moment everything changed: “I heard 20, 40, 50 shots. The music stopped.” On June 12, 2016, 49 people went to dance at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando on Latin Night. They never came home. This June, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida answers that silence with a landmark world premiere choral work and over 200 LGBTQ+ voices united on a single stage.
Emerging from tragedy to triumph is a defining truth of the LGBTQ+ community, and this powerful evening centers remembrance, resilience, and unity. Coinciding with Juneteenth, the program also celebrates ongoing fights for freedom and equality, fostering community solidarity.
Featuring over 200 voices, Invincible aims to inspire and bring together supporters and allies alike. The concert will take place on Friday, June 19, 2026, at 8:00 PM at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Anchoring the program is the world premiere of Amor Eterno: A Requiem for Pulse, a newly commissioned work by acclaimed composer Saunder Choi. Known for emotionally resonant choral writing, Choi’s requiem serves as the artistic heart of the evening.
The premiere honors those who lost their lives and celebrates resilience, fostering a sense of shared purpose and hope. “I am deeply moved to be working with Saunder Choi on Amor Eterno,” said Artistic Director Gabe Salazar. “His music carries grief with tenderness and transforms it into something luminous. Bringing this work to life with our singers is an honor and a powerful act of remembrance and hope.”
Invincible is sponsored by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, CAN Community Health, The Bears of South Florida, and Emerald Senior Care, with additional support from the Warten Foundation and Funding Arts Broward.
“The Warten Foundation is proud to underwrite this timely, original composition commemorating the upcoming 10th anniversary of the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting. The heinous attack on the Orlando LGBTQ community and the 49 lives lost must never be forgotten,” says John Hand and Randy James of the Warten Foundation.
“We commend the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida for honoring and paying tribute to those we lost by making this unique piece of music the centerpiece for their Invincible Concert. May this further serve as a fitting acknowledgment of the resilience of our Florida LGBTQ community as we continue to vie for equality despite misguided efforts to defund our causes and erase our identifying symbols from the Florida landscape.”
Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster. Visit gmcsf.org for full event details and updates.
About the Composer of Amor Eterno, A Requiem For Pulse
Saunder Choi, an award-winning Filipino composer and choral artist in Los Angeles, has gained international recognition for his works performed by esteemed groups such as Conspirare, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
A winner of the 2024 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Raymond Brock Prize for Professional Composers, he has arranged music for notable figures such as Lea Salonga and for organizations such as the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and the San Francisco Symphony.
As a choral artist, he actively performs in ensembles like Pacific Chorale, L.A. Choral Lab, and HEX Vocal Ensemble, as well as in film scores of Disney’s The Lion King, Mulan, Avatar 2: The Way of the Water, etc. Saunder’s compositions strongly advocate for DEIJ, focusing on themes such as immigration, racial justice, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and his own Filipino-Chinese identity. He is the Director of Music at the UU Church of Santa Monica and a teaching artist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Learn more at saunderchoi.com.
About the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF)
The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida is a vibrant community of voices, blending generations and cultures with one shared mission: to sing so that LGBTQ+ people can live their truth through quality music experiences that inspire audiences, open minds, change hearts, and affirm our common humanity.
Founded in 2010, GMCSF has grown into the largest gay men’s chorus in the southeastern United States and one of the top ten LGBTQ+ choruses nationally, with a roster of over 180 singers. Through grand- scale concerts, community engagement, and volunteer-driven outreach, the Chorus reaches more than 35,000 live audience members annually and welcomes over 72,000 visitors to its digital platform.
A defining milestone came in 2016 when GMCSF partnered with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood to present its holiday concert at Hard Rock Live. That collaboration has since evolved into a longstanding partnership rooted in music, visibility, and community impact. Whether on stage or in service, GMCSF continues to build bridges, create belonging, and shape South Florida’s cultural future through the power of music.
